PACE Global Haiku • PACE September 2009 |
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Selected Haiku by I look at the day and see a schedule full to the max. However, is that all there is this day? Haiku is not about “stopping to smell the roses”. It is about realizing the world we live in is full of beauty on a daily basis. This is all day -- everyday, not just when it fits into my schedule or yours. This collection of Haiku is about my reaction at the exact AH HA moment when realization hits. The roses do not only have a lovely scent but, thorns, varying degrees of color, aphids, textures, stem’s, petals, the little yellow tongues in the center. Reading some Haiku of great authors and some Haiku from everyday authors and classmates, I find each has a point of vision I am privileged to share. I have this opportunity to have my own individual felt response without the interference of someone on television, radio, at work, school, play, church or even carpool telling me what my view should be. It is my own, I own it proudly. I can share or keep it to myself. I sometimes feel like a two year old running around with a favored toy saying “mine…mine…mine.” The goal is to evoke your senses, how often do consciously use these 5 wonderful gifts. If you cannot immediately answer this, now is the time and Haiku can lead you down that path. Contemporary Haiku is more to my personal taste than the traditional structured Haiku. The creative mind to see the world thru a different view as the kaleidoscope is turned once again. The love of nature in which Haiku allows us to explore, develop at our own pace, to see beauty, a relationship where others perhaps do not. I read it aloud, take that dramatic pause at the precise moment, allowing me to see color where others only see black and white or hear the sound of nature while others roll by with their windows up. I have discovered the fun doing a Rengay, participating in a Kukai and matching competitions. I recommend this format to each of you as a new way to look at Haiku and a way to develop your own skill at this unique art form. You can also develop your own art form in doing critical commentary matching using the Matsuo Basho style. Haiku seemingly has no beginning and no end. It exists in the moment of time frozen, like a freeze frame with sight, sound, smell. Individuals add their own response to “the what” is happening before the Haiku begins and likewise for “what is” happening as it ends. One haiku has so many varying felt responses each reader must find their own individualized one, then decide to share or runway claiming as I do “mine…mine…mine.” Roasting Marshmallows is a collection which asks you to enjoy and experience life, some clearly nature, some clearly humanistic. So, pull up a rock or a piece of driftwood, move closer to the campfire, make yourself comfortable and relax. Renee’ Robbynes |
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Forward How forward does a forward have to be, specially, when one has known the author most of her life? We are talking years! Awe, the stories I could tell! However, there is limited space and a direction this book has taken. Thus, I will share what I know to this author’s love of nature, storytelling, and life. Renee’ and I spent many years preparing and actually swimming, hiking, bicycling, and camping throughout the various cities and mountain ranges of Southern Nevada. Her love of nature stemmed from Camp Fire Girls. We learned to become leaders, singers, campers, practical jokesters and story tellers. Many a night we would sit around a campfire roasting marsh mellows to make s’mores. The best were always made edge of a campfire, no microwaves back then. After the songs and the feast we would all get down to the serious stuff, ‘How Renee’ would top all the other’s stories’. As she presented a frightening tale about villains sabotaging the camp, or silly tales that lead down a path to laughter that caused tears to flow. Jumping in freezing water to swim, climbing ledges just to see what was on the other side, riding the Old Spanish Trail on horseback were but a few of the ways Renee’ discovered her world of nature that she loves. She has always been able to seek and find the humor of life and bring it to others, take something ordinary and make it extraordinary. Her words grab at you, pulling you in, causing you to wonder at and imagine the possibilities of normal daily things. Consider for a moment, we are riding our bikes past someone’s yard, Renee’ points to a tree as we roll by, I see the tree with no leaves and an old birds nest, but she sees... I didn’t truly notice the nest prior to this, but, now I am hooked. Immediately, I notice the dangerous way the nest is dangling, the time aged straw, twigs and grass which made up the nest. Wondering what happened to the occupants, are they safe? Did they fly south for the winter? Did a predator find them and attack? I now realize there is an autumn breeze, which I did not notice before, how many more days can I ride my bike before winter sets in? Just as previously stated, Renee’ does have a humorous side as displayed in “sooted boot prints inside…” I can see the whimsical detective hunt going on at this very moment. Her ability to capture time, put it on paper for all to see is inspiring. I hope you find her writings as enjoyable as I have. Lilly Escobar-Withey |
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roasting marshmallows |
red pepper lights |
father and son |
camping group |
sunset |
twinkling lights |
smiling |
tracks glistening |
father and son |
dancing |
desert tortoise |
© 2009, Randy Brooks • Millikin University
All rights returned to authors upon publication.