Global Haiku Tradition--Rengay Kukai, Spring 2007
• = 1 vote for a favorite; commentary = two votes for a favorite
Oakwood Drive rain puddle small child runs red dirt dries teenage girls yellow stream mothers push strollers Jenna Pelej • |
rengay First shot bitter..Where's my chaser? women everywhere, can't drive home anymore a few more drinks Why is he looking mad ? swollen, cut fists Jay Johnson ••• I like the one in the second column at the top. I enjoyed this one because it made me laugh and think about how many men i hate seeing want to take it outside all because their girl was being to friendly with other men. It just chuckles me when i see two men getting ready to fight over a girl there are too many to be fighting over just one. Grandville |
rengay the sun sets late night at work the bees open eyes in the dark nocturnal life foot steps in the silence Joan Tirado •••• The character in this haiku could be compared to the bee that works in the hive. After a long day of work the person looks at her hands rough and weary as the bee in the hive looks at the accomplishments of his days work. We are just bees in a hive (Earth) working every day for the common good. Lindsey My favorite rengay from this kukai is the one that begins “the sun sets outside…” The first hokku reminds me of the early days of summer. I always get that childlike sensation of excitement when I see the first lightening bugs of the year. Also, I like the way the link to that mentions late night. It continues the thought of night time and gives everything a nice, somber tone. The next link takes you to a daytime feel but then takes you back into the night and makes the second hokku seem like just a thought in someone’s imagination. I love the image of the cat tipping over the vase. It reminds me of that parable of the tree falling in the woods and whether or not anyone can hear it or not. Then it leaves you with a comforting image of maternal love. It’s beautiful. Keith |
Distant Looks and Memories morning spring mist young girl dances a woman’s cries the small grave an old couple sways looking back Alya Saqer (9) ••••••••• My favorite is Distant Looks and Memories. I like the way it starts and ends. The beginning contains a rose, but roses are thorny. Then the end kind of parallels that with an old couple, but there was a secret affair. It seems to me that the woman in the middle is the one stabbed by the thorn/hurt by the couple’s affair. The whole thing flows really well keeping each thing separate but tying it all together. Rachel I really like the different contrast that this rengay has. It talks of happiness and sadness all at once. I feel like the reader can feel many feelings when reading this and see so many different pictures. I was able to see this all in my mind, a little story of peoples different lives. I really like how an old couple finds love again while a woman that I see as being young is widowed. It was by far my favorite rengay this week! Whitney I really like this haiku because of the way the author made all of the links somehow match together. The uses of ninjo and ningo-nashi links are very beautiful and appropriate. I really like how the whole rengay tells a story and the title fits very well with the meaning behind the rengay. For some reason, in this rengay, I picture old times, like the 1930’s. A woman is upset because she discovers that her husband is cheating on her. Now, years later, she is dead and the man can finally be together with the true love of his life. Joan |
The Skyline watched it on the news feel compelled such a big city magnificant skyline streets bussling with people families view it with dispair Cindie & Dave Zelhart (6) •••••• Thinking of all the life that was lost on September 11 and how we have been changed forever seems to be the central idea of this haiku. This one hit home for me. My father is an EMT and I also work for the ambulance service in our town. Just to see all those people die so senselessly was very tough for me. The city skyline could be compared to a person’s life. So magnificent and full then instantly destroyed to no more than rubble. Lindsey |
Rengay speaking of the silent warmth the living room flickers tomorrow delight by an open door Amy Hoffstetter • |
Solo Rengay an empty elevator with no one inside sticky fingerprints the wrapper thirty one different flavors people’s wallets Andi McCoy [Note: the hokku for this rengay comes from the Haiku Anthology, by Jack Cain, page 21.] |
Pale Morning dead of night glued in the warm tar the bum whistling the sleep peasants under the weak sun Brittney Gillespie & Deirdre Fields •••• I really liked this rengay because each link helped me picture the scene. I found the links all very different, and thought they were strong enough on their own to actually be separated into individual haiku. This rengay makes me picture a city corner, possibly in Chicago, and the people that inhabit it, like the prostitute and the penniless bum. I also see a dusty and dirty sidewalk, with random pieces of thrown away gum stuck to it. Jenna |
Daylight early morning waking up staring so long grass filled with dew I feel so bad surprise! the guts are spattered Chonita Ziegler & Shannon Hackl •• This haiku reminds makes me think of how we as mankind are towards life. One minute we are ready to eat our lunch (on top of the world) and the next minute we are smashed back down to the ground. Life is so short and simple but we make so very difficult. You never know what is in store for you, sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug. Lindsey |
Out with the Old barber glances— draft blows hair clippings broken pencil— the floor sticky aging hands grasp the eviction notice Keith Chandler •••• This haiku really caught my eye because the subject was so original. I think it is really well written. I picture an old time barber shop with the red and white striped stick outside the door and the old barber inside. The word spinning in the first haiku makes me think that time continues to go by even though his shop is closing. The draft blowing makes me think that it could be the cruel wind of the death of his shop blowing through and then the author continues on with that theme in the broken pencil. I thought the aging hands part was especially well written. The whole link has an old, rust feel to it. When the eviction notice comes untapped you know the end has come and an era is over. Cindie |
Waiting . . . she sits and waits the soft buzz she itches with anticipation thinking to herself an accident by choice, at the funeral Lorin Glazer & Phil Koberlein (6) •••••• The next one i really enjoyed was the one that starts off with waiting. I just get the feeling of this sister and her younger sister going to their mother funeral and they older sister knowing that she now has crossed into motherhood and must take care of her younger sister it is just a very true story because i have seen this happen before and it is very hard for a young girl to go through. Grandville |
Drowning her reflection his eyes heavy the pond water-- the raindrop ripples unable to move the only indication Lizabeth Hare (9) ••••••••• I love the feelings that this rengay evokes when the author speaks about the wind and the seashells being washed away. There was not much of a human presence, but there was enough to tell that people were interacting within the poem. The rengay held a sense of sadness, peace, and happiness that I saw three different pictures but they were each had the same underlying tone to them. Also, the rengay included somehow made the interaction of the sea animals similar to the human actions that they seemed to parallel. Overall, the rengay was compact, offered many emotions to the poem and brought much of the ninjô verses ninjô-nashi that make a good Rengay. Alya I really like this one because I think that it goes into great detail. It talks about the muddy water and then you can see the raindrop falling into to water and the ripples going out and distorting the image. I just really enjoy it. Andi |
Her Bouquet coming home to plastic flowers hidden from the world her solemn thoughts burst seeing fire across the room through the ocean of people a small gesture Rachel Morrison & Sarah VanderZee •• |
16 inches The seagull beats its wings The batter waits Choke up on the bat The ball connects Rounding the bases The vendor tosses food to the crowd John Wright ••• I really like this rengay since it has such a double meaning. It does hold a lot of memory for me because I used to play softball. The name is very catchy and does get the readers attention. It has a lot of emotion and brings the reader into and gives the reader the same feelings and emotions as the player. Shannon |
Daylight Early morning waking up Staring so long Grass filled with dew I feel so bad Surprise! The guts are spattered Shannon Hackl |
Solo Rengay Rain pours Muddy paw prints Feelings of anger rise Max greets his anger owner Anger turns to laughter She realizes Whitney Minor •• Finally is the one that starts off with Rain Pours. It just makes me mad when my dog or my friends cause they can be dogs to come over to my house while it is raining and they don't take their shoes off before knowing that i just cleaned up. Grandville |
Pool Hall over the din gliding... the ball sinks holding the cold beer slinky red dress in his eyes the smile last call Brittney Gillespie & Deirdre Fields ••• This entry does a wonderful job of introducing us to a locale subliminally. I see a pool hall reeking cigarette smoke, populated with intoxicated pool playing individuals. The Rengay leads us to believe that there is an female in a red dress who is shooting for a one night stand, corner pocket and is landing success. However this is not confirmed and it is left for the reader to imagine their own scenario. We (the readers) are simply provided with the premise and our imaginations create our own individual experience. Jay |
Afternoon Tide sun baked sand the wind lifts your hair seagulls fight the wave comes in yellow striped awnings the small child Jenna Pelej & ••• |
The Holiday cold wind candles burn low memories… snores invade tea kettle whistle a fork hits Keith Chandler & Amanda Matthew |
Time Off back again hours roll by I change into counting backwards connected to tubes wheeled to the door Rachel Morrison & Alex •• |
Rengay lit cigarette stars burn above ashes hit the hooves hit the pavement an owl swoops pine tree scents Keith Chandler •• I really enjoyed all the elements this Rengay included. You really get a scene painted for you. For example, hooves hit the pavement or an owl swoops. It is very descriptive and you can almost see it as it is being written. There are a range of different emotions and sensations as well. You can smell the pine scent as well as hear the hooves. It has a real sense of imagery. Liz |
©
2007, Randy Brooks • Millikin University • last updated:
April 20, 2007
All rights returned to authors upon publication.