Millikin University Student Renga

sudden shower
he covers my head
with his coat

hokku by Alida Duff

sudden shower
he covers my head
with his coat
unusual comfort
with a perfect stranger

cap by Jennifer Toney

I love reading this over and over in my mind because my imagination paints a picture that is so vivid for me. I visualize two strangers finding each other in the rain and in the atmosphere that the storm creates for them. The rain is their background music in a way and the darkness only makes for a more romantic setting. Because the rain has drenched their clothes and hair they see each other for what they really are. What makes it even better is that they love what they see and they love the feeling they have at that very moment. —Casey T

I especially like this cap because it links to the original verse by content, but it is still very dramatic, and points out an interesting part of human nature. It is just so nice when a complete stranger will give you a hand with something, or help you out without any expectations of something in return. This happened to me the other day at the Decatur Public Library. My friend and I were unloading artwork from her car, to put into the gallery upstairs, and some big biker dude helped us carry all of the pictures in from the car. That’s the beauty of human nature, for the most part people are complete jerks, but once in a while there is an instance when a little act of kindness or generosity can help you put some faith back into the creature known as a human being. —Casey W

The Global Haiku Tradition course introduces students to the various linked poetry traditions including Garry Gay's rengay, tan-renga, and the 36-link kasen renga.

Spring 2010 Kasen-no-Renga

Spring 2008 Rengay

Spring 2007 Rengay

Spring 2005 Kasen-no-Renga

Spring 2004 Renga

Please enjoy these sample renga by Millikin students.

Grasshopper & Tobacco Spit
K.B. Hattan
Bri Hill
Michele LaBrose
Lauren Taylor
Xiu Ying Zheng
Ryan Jones
Liz Hattan

Fallen Firefly
Natalie Perfetti
Andrew Barnick
Sarah Corso
Melanie McLay

Smoke Screen
Brian Blankenship
Adam Stefo
Brian Rohde
Jamie Devitt
Pat Steadman
Rick Bearce
Stephanie Dietrich

Loving the Bomb
a solo kasen by
Ryne Inman

From Bud to Bloom
Liz Ciaccio
Elizabeth Braden

Spring Day
Leigh Ann Kitchell
Maureen Coady

Spring Fever
Brianne Dilbeck
Tony Douglass
Jenny McGeehon

Seven: A Tanka Sequence
Ryan Casey

Small Waves
Paul Baker
Andrew Harrison
Edward Morosini
Adria Neapolitan

Porch Swing
Jennifer Rule

Thunderstorms
Jennifer Toney
Ann Anderson

Twelve Link Renku
Kristin Boryca
Lindonna Beer


haiku conferences haiku courses at Millikin teaching haiku
speakers & readings haiku competitions at MU student renga
student haiku projects published haiku by students links to haiku web sites
student research on haiku haiku by Millikin students directory of haiku magazines

 

© 2010, Dr. Randy Brooks• Millikin University
last updated 9/1/22about this web site