Global Haiku Tradition, Spring 2005
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late morning
sun drawing closer cold morning single snowflake empty movie
theatre he fades
away Ashlee Peth & Kirsten Leyndyke I am drawn to this haiku because I think it deals with something not many people my age even understand. It is a much more mature author I think that has seen the world with troubled and conflicting eyes. All the other Ranga are good stories but this one just feels so much. It deals with sadness conflicting and trust. Its nice to read a haiku that is darker and reveals the other side of life, one that most are not willing to talk about or even admit to at all. I think that shows courage in the author and I want to hear their story. James The first haiku of the rengay drug me in, speaking of "laughing through headaches," which closely mirrors the "typical" college experience of having experimented with alcohol, and having hangovers the day after. The next link furthers that image, having a drunken conversation, which always seem more in-depth at the time than they actually were. As the rengay continues, I feel more alone, which is also something I've felt, having met many (if not all) of my college friends through drunken experiences: there is always a sense of being alone, as if one has not made a "real" connection, only one fed with alcohol. The only link that I can't really relate to yet is the last, speaking of husbands, where I am generally turned-off, as there's no cause for me to think of a life-partner as yet, at least in my eyes. The initial imagery of this haiku reminds me a lot of my college years, something we're all heavily into at the moment. Joanne |
evening
shower rinsing off a fresh face I shut my
eyes pale morning
light bright lipstick,
dark eyeliner Laura & Jessica Podeschi first boyfriend painful joke the next
morning after the
argument empty house I trace the
lines Laura Podeschi & Ashley Peth |
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Alone With Child never-ending
class traveling
the highway crowded waiting
room another
child planned pregnancy
Joanne Weise & Dianne Waggoner |
Summer Memories big
splash the
sprinkler may
day sitting
on the sidewalk Radio
flyers laying
in the grass Sarah Bassill & Brooke DeWall Aside from the many fun childhood images in this rengay, I really enjoyed the movements between the different verses. I think each of the verses shares a similar tone while each brings something new and important to the rengay as a whole. The over-riding theme is clear, without necessarily linking together by telling a story. I love how clear the image of each verse is – the red Popsicle, the sprinkler, the radio flyer, and many more! I found this rengay to be well constructed and enjoyable to read. Nicole I have the same feelings about this Rengay as I did the first one by Basho. It makes me remember when I was young and we used to beg my mom to go to the pool with all of our friends. So many times my brother and sisters and I played in the sprinkler and tried to run from it. We also as young kids used to ring my grandparent’s doorbell and leave them flowers on their door step and hide until they found it. Afterwards we would just “so happen” to be driving by their house and stop by and say hi and they would accidentally have popsicles or orange push up pops for all of us. Every line of this Rengay reminded me of one of my great child hood memories. Jill |
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flickering
light darkness
ahead glowing
spiral David Meyer & Kristi Crider I really liked this one because of all the mystery involved. All of the links seem very dark and hidden, like you can't quite see them clearly. I also really liked how the authors played with light, really soft light. I really enjoyed the ambiguity of not knowing exactly what the authors were talking about. It is a really good rengay. Ashlee |
“Brothers” in the lab friends
forever love unsurpassed no more games classes
are not over come home
soon Cory Hodges |
Bring out
the cooler Bud
light, miller light The fellas,
the ladies Moving around
The
cops come Everything’s
cool Tony Lipka & Kyle Rohde I read this rengay and immediately loved it. Everyone can relate to this rengay. There is so much energy that comes out of this and some many different memories of crazy and wild times at these kinds of parties. The only thing that I think is wrong with this, is that I wish I had thought of it first. Anyone who reads this will no doubt get a big smile on their face and think of at least one time when they got trashed at a party and hooked up with the girl you have been crushing on for a while. And then the next morning you wonder if it is too good to be true, so you wake up to she is still there. Sleeping right next to you, what a feeling. Matt |
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first boyfriend painful joke the next
morning after the
argument empty house I trace the
lines Laura Podeschi & Ashley Peth |
late morning
sun drawing closer cold morning single snowflake empty movie
theatre he fades
away Ashlee Peth & Kirsten Leyndyke |
evening
shower rinsing off a fresh face I shut my
eyes pale morning
light bright lipstick,
dark eyeliner Laura & Jessica Podeschi |
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steaming
coffee in
a second hand store silver
tarnish fireplace
mantle tattered
photo plop– Dan Temkin & Mandy Moskowitz I liked this rengay better than most of the others because there seemed to be more connection between the links. Most of the submissions were either very disconnected (with some good haiku thrown into the middle) or sounded like one long, run-on sentence. This particular rengay, however, had some great imagery, and all of the links seemed to flow together. The speaker or speakers were obviously lost in various memories, both good and bad, and I think this really comes through in all of the links. Molly Burns I'm not sure why, at this moment, but I really like the rengay that starts, "steaming coffee/dog eared novel..." This entire series evokes a certain image and setting. A dark café , a shadowy study; it reminds me of an odd film, detective, or some strange intellectual thriller. It really reminds me of the film The Ninth Gate, with Johnny Depp, or even Indiana Jones. I just get that image of an odd, visually impeccable, suave and stylish film, yet still very gumshoe and detective in a classic sense of style. It moves into a completely different direction with "I carefully clean/grandmothers jewelry." Remarkable, yet it still gives off the old feeling, that one is dealing with antiquities. However, now it is very homy, and inviting, intimate, meaningful and emotional. It enters into a darker place, a place of brooding more fitting with the original images I get from the first haiku, solitary, dark almost, however perhaps more isolated and less active. It almost comes full circle to the café , yet with a different attitude, more lighthearted in mood. "Plop" seems to bring the caf é day-dreamer back into reality and out of the fantasy he has just projected him/herself into. I think this particular section has a lot to offer. Nick |
Just the
four of them Matt Tierney & Justin Stessman |
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riding horses
hand
in hand never thought how long
a wait plans
ahead here to stay Jill Guffey & Michael Sams |
early in
the morning Matt Tierney & Tony Lipka This was my favorite Rengay because I thought it was very cleaver how this person came up with the idea. Not only does it talk about Haiku, but it also describes the Haiku class that we experience every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. I liked how easy it was to relate to the feelings in this Haiku and the images brought to my mind about what is going on in the class when we talk about Haiku. It was a very fun Rengay to read. Sarah |
Strangers summer sun
waves
crashing looking around
caught my
eye our
words mix gust of Jill Guffey, Dave Koester, & Corey Hodges |
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Fire on the Mountain starry
night tobacco
spit pit voices
hat
tipped to brow marrow
vast
arenas Sarah Bassill & Phil Davidson I liked this one especially because it reminded me of camping in the deserts and what that must have been like for those who resided there such as pioneers and native americans. I also liked it because the images or situations presented can span from generation to generation. It's not just a modern time experience. Katie |
Country Road windy summer’s
eve my
mind is wandering warm evening
breeze powerlines darkness
slowly descends alone
on a country road Angie Hawk & Heidi Anderson This rengay creates a variety of vivid images – sights and sounds that one would experience as he or she drives down a country road some early summer evening. This work gives the reader a sense of peace and calm, along with just a hint of loneliness. The driver is “wandering” along dusty paths with no real purpose except to think. The serene quiet and beauty of her surroundings is therapeutic; one can’t help but feel more at ease after reading this rengay. Laura |
Winter Calm Sledding
hill Quiet
forest So
pretty and white Pink
snow suit Warm
glow Cold
puppy Brooke DeWall & Monica Romo
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Summer Memories red berry
-- dry
grass beneath the
shade legs swinging
ripple
tadpoles
flee Nicole Silverman & little sister I’ll be honest; I thought that most of the rengay were pretty lame. Most of the members of my group agreed. They seemed to fall apart too easily. This rengay seemed to hold together the best out of all of them. It gave a good sense of summer and didn’t seem to jump around too much or seem trite. Using the word “beneath” in the first two stanzas was probably not a good idea but I get the point. I like the last link because it is very simple and provides a vivid image. This rengay provides me with the constant image of summer, but allows for multiple little visual memories within the larger construct. Michael This rengay gives a variety of collaborative images beginning with the innocence of a child too young to know modesty, which gives the link a subtle, relaxed emotion. This emotion carries itself throughout the rengay as a sense of carefree behavior. There are no insensitive words or undertones that pertain to negative feelings… even “dry grass” gives the reader a more softened image than would be expected. Relaxation is the overall feeling acquired from this rengay, which is a nice change from the usual active or conflicting links that are embraced in haiku and rengay. Angie |
Wait finally
over Students
walking quickly Bags piled
in corner Car
is waiting Say a few
goodbye’s The
wait is over David Koester I like this rengay because it is so true. School is fine until you have a break coming up then all you can think about is getting out of here and going home or going on vacation. So I connect well with this haiku and it speaks for itself. Tony
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©
2005, Randy Brooks • Millikin University • last updated:
May 13, 2005
All rights returned to authors upon publication.