2008-01-31

Rengay Through the Seasons #22 [1-5]

by Masago: Rengay #22 (Jan 27 to Feb 02, 2008), Verses 1-5 (of 6)

A mid-winter's eve — the repairman smiles as he / opens the furnace.
The tooth can be saved... but / a root canal is needed.
Mom succumbs / to her kids' blandishments — stray kitten.
Homeless vagrant — a long sermon comes with / the bowl of soup.
The lecture's over at last — but the prof calls a pop-quiz.


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2008-01-30

Rengay Through the Seasons #22 [1-4]

by Masago: Rengay #22 (Jan 27 to Feb 02, 2008), Verses 1-4 (of 6)

A mid-winter's eve — the repairman smiles as he / opens the furnace.
The tooth can be saved... but / a root canal is needed.
Mom succumbs / to her kids' blandishments — stray kitten.
Homeless vagrant — a long sermon comes with / the bowl of soup.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-29

Rengay Through the Seasons #22 [1-3]

by Masago: Rengay #22 (Jan 27 to Feb 02, 2008), Verses 1-3 (of 6)

A mid-winter's eve — the repairman smiles as he / opens the furnace.
The tooth can be saved... but / a root canal is needed.
Mom succumbs / to her kids' blandishments — stray kitten.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-28

Rengay Through the Seasons #22 [1-2]

by Masago: Rengay #22 (Jan 27 to Feb 02, 2008), Verses 1-2 (of 6)

A mid-winter's eve — the repairman smiles as he / opens the furnace.
The tooth can be saved... but / a root canal is needed.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-26

Rengay Through the Seasons #21 Summary

by Toshiaki Koike (tk), and Vaughn Seward (vs);
Rengay #21 (Jan 20-26, 2008) Summary


Briefly Touching

Icy Road —
a plastic bag rolls,
right, left. /tk

A tangled cassette tape —
an end flaps in the chill. /vs

Revolving door —
cold and warm air
briefly touch. /tk

Frost patterns
form on the window pane —
finger print. /vs

A single glove — fingers
point toward the exit. /tk

Clock tower —
big and little hands frozen
at nine-twelve. /vs

Toshiaki's tastes in haiku have changed somewhat over the years. One aspect of this that surfaces in his art and haiku is the balance between man-made and natural objects. In haiku he has often been attracted to writing about ordinary and often neglected aspects of modern civilization. Human impact on nature leaves impressions and vestiges. We therefore decided early on to feature these two things as themes in this rengay: Vestiges and Man-made objects.

In the first verse there is a deep sympathy for the plastic bag. The bag has been discarded as garbage, it isn't noticed by anyone, and no one cares about it. Still, it moves on and tumbles left, then right in an aimless, directionless manner. It is also easy to identify with the bag and to wonder where you are heading in life.


Every so often one encounters a broken cassette tape with the tape from inside tangled up, often in a ball on a tree or bush. As CD's have mostly replaced cassettes this sight is becoming less and less common. The concept in this verse corresponds the relentless forward motion of technological advances and how past advances eventually fall by the wayside.

Verse 3 portrays the feeling of a brief encounter: warm with cold. Inside it is warm, outside it is cold, and the revolving door mixes a little bit of each on each revolution. It connects outside strangers with people inside that are familiar. As well, it represents the connection between "my world" and "the outside world".

The image in verse 5 is of a lost glove near the exit of a store or building. Perhaps it was a child's who had been playing and was suddenly called away. As with the plastic bag in verse 1, there is also a sympathetic notion, as if the glove was "feeling" left behind and was desiring to be outside once again providing warmth for its owner.

Perhaps the clock tower in the last verse is old and neglected or maybe it is so cold out that the clock mechanism has frozen solid. The 9:12 reference is symbolic of the period after the 9-11 disaster (World Trade Centre, Sep 11, 2001) when the world seemed to go into a paralyzed state. We are only now beginning to recover somewhat from this frozen, winterish state.

Please click here for link details and other notes:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pcytHc47X3uASXFIGGIUFbA&gid=0

Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-25

Rengay Through the Seasons #21 [1-6]

by Toshiaki Koike (tk), and Vaughn Seward (vs);
Rengay #21 (Jan 20-26, 2008) Verses 1-6 (of 6):


Icy Road — a plastic bag rolls, right, left. /tk
A tangled cassette tape — an end flaps in the chill. /vs
Revolving door — cold and warm air / briefly touch. /tk
Frost patterns / form on the window pane — finger print. /vs
A single glove — fingers / point toward the exit. /tk
Clock tower — big and little hands frozen / at nine-twelve. /vs


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-24

Rengay Through the Seasons #21 [1-5]

by Toshiaki Koike (tk), and Vaughn Seward (vs);
Rengay #21 (Jan 20-26, 2008) Verses 1-5 (of 6):


Icy Road — a plastic bag rolls, right, left. /tk
A tangled cassette tape — an end flaps in the chill. /vs
Revolving door — cold and warm air / briefly touch. /tk
Frost patterns / form on the window pane — finger print. /vs
A single glove — fingers / point toward the exit. /tk


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-23

Rengay Through the Seasons #21 [1-4]

by Toshiaki Koike (tk), and Vaughn Seward (vs);
Rengay #21 (Jan 20-26, 2008) Verses 1-4 (of 6):


Icy Road — a plastic bag rolls, right, left. /tk
A tangled cassette tape — an end flaps in the chill. /vs
Revolving door — cold and warm air / briefly touch. /tk
Frost patterns / form on the window pane — finger print. /vs


[When someone leaves a finger print on a window (e.g. house, car), the frost when it gets quite cold out will form a pattern that reveals the finger print that was previously invisible.]

Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-22

Rengay Through the Seasons #21 [1-3]

by Toshiaki Koike (tk), and Vaughn Seward (vs);
Rengay #21 (Jan 20-26, 2008) Verses 1-3 (of 6):


Icy Road — a plastic bag rolls, right, left. /tk
A tangled cassette tape — an end flaps in the chill. /vs
Revolving door — cold and warm air / briefly touch. /tk


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-21

Rengay Through the Seasons #21 [1-2]

by Toshiaki Koike (tk), and Vaughn Seward (vs);
Rengay #21 (Jan 20-26, 2008) Verses 1-2 (of 6):


Icy Road — a plastic bag rolls, right, left. /tk
A tangled cassette tape — an end flaps in the chill. /vs


[Every so often one encounters a broken cassette tape with the tape inside tangled up, often in a ball on a tree or bush.]

Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-20

Rengay Through the Seasons #21 [1]

by Toshiaki Koike (tk), and Vaughn Seward (vs);
Rengay #21 (Jan 20-26, 2008) Verse 1 (of 6):


Icy Road — a plastic bag rolls, right, left. /tk


This rengay was written with Toshiaki Koike who was born in Iwakura, a town near Nagoya, Japan. Toshiaki attended Shizuoka University where he studied Japanese Literature and was the leader of the University's haiku circle. It was there that he met his future wife Carol who had come to Japan from Canada as an exchange student. Through a later exchange of tanka and haiku poems a romance developed and they were eventually married. Ten years later they moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada where Carol's mother was living. Their story is more fully described here:

http://www.ualberta.ca/~publicas/folio/34/20/06.html

Masago met Toshiaki at the 2006 Edmonton Summer Arts Festival where Toshiaki was displaying some of his artwork. They became fast friends and have been meeting regularly every two weeks since then to discuss English language, Japanese language & culture, and haiku poetry.

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2008-01-19

Rengay Through the Seasons #20 Summary

by Masago: Rengay #20 (Jan 13-19, 2008) Summary

Dipping a Bit More

Snowflakes
on a branch... it dips
a bit more.

Family dinner — garlic salt
on a stick of celery.

Athletic club —
another gulp before
pressing thirty.

Siphoned gas —
on the way back the can
grows heavier.

Sudden blizzard... we taxi
back down the runway.

Bowheads enter
an arctic bay... plumes spray
from blowholes.

The theme here is "Weight" and is represented by the two extremes of weight from Light (v. 1 & 2) to Heavy (v. 5 & 6), and with the lifting of weights in between (v. 3 & 4).

A unique aspect of this rengay is that it has in it links that alternate between Echo/Reflection (1-2, 3-4, 5-6) and Scent (2-3, 4-5, 6-1). A reflection (or echo) link is where the one verse mirrors the objects and/or actions of the other verse but in a different setting. For example, the garlic salt sprinkled on the celery in verse 2 is a reflection of the snowflakes falling on the branch in verse 1.

A Scent link is where the one verse matches the feeling that is present in the other verse. For example, the feeling in verse 4 of being stranded without gas is matched with the feeling of being stranded at an airport in verse 5.
Please click here for link details and other notes:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pcytHc47X3uC60AwRB2jQKA&gid=0

Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-18

Rengay Through the Seasons #20 [1-6]

by Masago: Rengay #20 (Jan 13-19, 2008), Verses 1-6 (of 5)

Snowflakes / on a branch... it dips / a bit more.
Family dinner — garlic salt / on a stick of celery.
Athletic club — another gulp before / pressing thirty.
Siphoned gas — on the way back the can / grows heavier.
Sudden blizzard... we taxi / back down the runway.
Bowheads enter / an arctic bay... plumes spray / from blowholes.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-17

Rengay Through the Seasons #20 [1-5]

by Masago: Rengay #20 (Jan 13-19, 2008), Verses 1-5 (of 5)

Snowflakes / on a branch... it dips / a bit more.
Family dinner — garlic salt / on a stick of celery.
Athletic club — another gulp before / pressing thirty.
Siphoned gas — on the way back the can / grows heavier.
Sudden blizzard... we taxi / back down the runway.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-16

Rengay Through the Seasons #20 [1-4]

by Masago: Rengay #20 (Jan 13-19, 2008), Verses 1-4 (of 5)

Snowflakes / on a branch... it dips / a bit more.
Family dinner — garlic salt / on a stick of celery.
Athletic club — another gulp before / pressing thirty.
Siphoned gas — on the way back the can / grows heavier.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-15

Rengay Through the Seasons #20 [1-3]

by Masago: Rengay #20 (Jan 13-19, 2008), Verses 1-3 (of 5)

Snowflakes / on a branch... it dips / a bit more.
Family dinner — garlic salt / on a stick of celery.
Athletic club — another gulp before / pressing thirty.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-14

Rengay Through the Seasons #20 [1-2]

by Masago: Rengay #20 (Jan 13-19, 2008), Verses 1-2 (of 5)

Snowflakes / on a branch... it dips / a bit more.
Family dinner — garlic salt / on a stick of celery.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-12

Rengay Through the Seasons #19 Summary

by Masago: Rengay #19 (Jan 6-12, 2008) Summary

The Old Furnace

Frigid gusts —
the wind-chimes sound,
then not...

Silence late at night —
the old furnace kicks in.

A favorite soap —
at crucial scenes, no sound
with pixellating.

Car trouble...
"Please repeat, my cell
keeps cutting out."

The baby whimpers again —
its mother comes running.

Red light —
a speeding new car
slides through.

The central theme of this rengay is "Intermittency" and the secondary theme of "Sounds" (Chiming, Furnace running, TV audio, Phone call, Baby crying, and Car engine).

Please click here for link details and other notes:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pcytHc47X3uAiETOhW1ihKQ&gid=0

Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-11

Rengay Through the Seasons #19 [1-6]

by Masago: Rengay #19 (Jan 6-12, 2008), Verses 1-6 (of 5)

Frigid gusts — the wind-chimes sound, then not...
Silence late at night — the old furnace kicks in.
A favorite soap — at crucial scenes, no sound / with pixellating.
Car trouble... "Please repeat, my cell /keeps cutting out."
The baby whimpers again — its mother comes running.
Red light — a speeding new car / slides through.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-10

Rengay Through the Seasons #19 [1-5]

by Masago: Rengay #19 (Jan 6-12, 2008), Verses 1-5 (of 5)

Frigid gusts — the wind-chimes sound, then not...
Silence late at night — the old furnace kicks in.
A favorite soap — at crucial scenes, no sound / with pixellating.
Car trouble... "Please repeat, my cell /keeps cutting out."
The baby whimpers again — its mother comes running.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-09

Rengay Through the Seasons #19 [1-4]

by Masago: Rengay #19 (Jan 6-12, 2008), Verses 1-4 (of 5)

Frigid gusts — the wind-chimes sound, then not...
Silence late at night — the old furnace kicks in.
A favorite soap — at crucial scenes, no sound / with pixellating.
Car trouble... "Please repeat, my cell /keeps cutting out."


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-08

Rengay Through the Seasons #19 [1-3]

by Masago: Rengay #19 (Jan 6-12, 2008), Verses 1-3 (of 5)

Frigid gusts — the wind-chimes sound, then not...
Silence late at night — the old furnace kicks in.
A favorite soap — at crucial scenes, no sound / with pixellating.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-07

Rengay Through the Seasons #19 [1-2]

by Masago: Rengay #19 (Jan 6-12, 2008), Verses 1-2 (of 5)

Frigid gusts — the wind-chimes sound, then not...
Silence late at night — the old furnace kicks in.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-06

New short linked verse form: Renhai

For the past few months a couple of haiku writers and I have been experimenting with a new form of short linked verse. We are calling it "Renhai". We have put together a short description and some examples. Please click here for this article which has just been published in the December, 2007 issue of Sketchbook:

http://tinyurl.com/35kjgu

Rengay Through the Seasons #19 [1]

by Masago: Rengay #19 (Jan 6-12, 2008), Verse 1-6 (of 5)

Frigid gusts — the wind-chimes sound, then not...

Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-05

Rengay Through the Seasons #18 Summary

by Masago: Rengay #18 (Dec 30 to Jan 5, 2008) Summary

Below a Drift

A cardinal settles
among the tree's twigs —
falling snow.

Ice fog hangs in the air —
an owl perches on a stump.

Clear and sunny —
mouse tracks lead under
a half-buried log.

Below a drift —
the squirrel uncovers a stash
of pine cones.

A cow munches on hay —
eavestrough icicles form.

A blizzard envelopes
the red barn — two horses
face the wind.

The central theme of this rengay is "Winter Weather" and is represented by various extremes of weather one encounters throughout the winter season, from blizzards to sunny days. The secondary theme of "Winter Animals" also has a progression from smaller animals (birds in verses 1 & 2, and rodents in verses 3 &4) to larger animals (ungulates in verses 5 and 6).

Please click here for link details and other notes:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pcytHc47X3uAinKGWu4DGGg&gid=0

Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-04

Rengay Through the Seasons #18 [1-6]

by Masago: Rengay #18 (Dec 30 to Jan 5, 2008), Verses 1-6 (of 5)

A cardinal settles / among the tree's twigs — falling snow.
Ice fog hangs in the air — an owl perches on a stump.
Clear and sunny — mouse tracks lead under / a half-buried log.
Below a drift — the squirrel uncovers a stash / of pine cones.
A cow munches on hay — eavestrough icicles form.
A blizzard envelopes / the red barn — two horses / face the wind.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-03

Rengay Through the Seasons #18 [1-5]

by Masago: Rengay #18 (Dec 30 to Jan 5, 2008), Verses 1-4 (of 5)

A cardinal settles / among the tree's twigs — falling snow.
Ice fog hangs in the air — an owl perches on a stump.
Clear and sunny — mouse tracks lead under / a half-buried log.
Below a drift — the squirrel uncovers a stash / of pine cones.
A cow munches on hay — eavestrough icicles form.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-02

Rengay Through the Seasons #18 [1-4]

by Masago: Rengay #18 (Dec 30 to Jan 5, 2008), Verses 1-4 (of 6)

A cardinal settles / among the tree's twigs — falling snow.
Ice fog hangs in the air — an owl perches on a stump.
Clear and sunny — mouse tracks lead under / a half-buried log.
Below a drift — the squirrel uncovers a stash / of pine cones.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.

2008-01-01

Rengay Through the Seasons #18 [1-3]

by Masago: Rengay #18 (Dec 30 to Jan 5, 2008), Verses 1-3 (of 6)

A cardinal settles / among the tree's twigs — falling snow.
Ice fog hangs in the air — an owl perches on a stump.
Clear and sunny — mouse tracks lead under / a half-buried log.


Click here for the previous rengay in the series.