Renhai Reflections 92: A Warm Reception

A Warm Reception
A Renhai by Zhanna P. Rader (zh.r) & Vaughn Seward (vs)

A slow descent
on a frosty afternoon —
my star-like glitter. /zh.r

All around, others like me... /vs
still uniquely different. /zh.r

Soft landing
on a child's smiling face —
very, very warm. /vs

Click here for notes and linking details:
http://cflat7.drivehq.com/Renhai_0132.htm

Renhai Reflections 91: A Share of the Tree

A Share of the Tree
A Renhai by Zhanna P. Rader (zh.r) & Vaughn Seward (vs)

Chewing... chewing
with millions of others
in a green maple. /zh.r

A branch, near the top — /vs
this leaf, now just lace. /zh.r

A Baltimore oriole
warbles a song close by —
I crawl under. /vs

Click here for notes and linking details:
http://cflat7.drivehq.com/Renhai_0130.htm

Renhai Reflections 90: One, Two, Three, Four...

One, Two, Three, Four...

I came across the following poem in an Esperanto textbook (Step by Step in Esperanto, page 145):

Unu, du, tri, kvar,
[Pron: 'OO-noo, DOO, TREE, KVAR']
[Transl: one, two, three, four]

Fisxoj nagxas en la mar'.
[Pron: 'FEE-shoy NAH-jahs EHN LA MAHR']
[Trasl: fishes swim in the sea]

Kvin, ses, sep, ok,
[Pron: 'KVEEN, SEHS, SEHP, OHK']
[Transl: five, six, seven, eight]

Birdoj staras sur la rok'.
[Pron: 'BEER-doy STAH-rahs SOOR LAH ROHK']
[Transl: birds stand on the rock]

Vidu ilin! naux, dek,
[Pron: 'VEE-doo EE-leen! NOW, DEHK'']
[Transl: see them! nine, ten]

Unu fisx' en cxiu bek'.
[Pron: 'OO-noo FEESH EHN CHEE-oo BEHK']
[Transl: one fish in each one's beak]
______________

From this I was inspired to write something like it with English rhyming:

One, two, three, four,
Fishes in the sea galore.
Five, six, seven, eight,
Gulls on moorage stand and wait.
See them all! nine, ten
Fish in beaks... once again.

Renhai Reflections 89: An Encounter (Extra note)

An Encounter: Interpretations

In posted Renhai a couple of days ago (An Encounter), about a rise and fall of a kite, Polona mention in a comment the following:

"cute on a superficial level and much deeper if one cares to think"

From this Zhanna and I realized that this simple renhai has depth that we had not imagined. I have therefore added this to the comments of the Renhai:

[It is interesting that different individuals have interpreted this renhai in different ways. For example, if the kite is taken as a woman that got infatuated with another man (purple kite) after she got to the top of the society thanks to her first man, then she sort of deserves what she got, i.e. falling down from that height. That encounter was wrong. :-)

Another interpretation is more on the serious side. It is the idea that society has been flirting with higher and higher levels of debt and living above its needs (the first verse depicts the early days of this society; the 2nd verse up to about the beginning of 2008)... and now, the experience of the downward spiral of the worldwide economic collapse of 2009!]

Click here for notes and linking details:
http://cflat7.drivehq.com/Renhai_0126.htm

Renhai Reflections 88: On The Boulevard

On The Boulevard
A Renhai by Gillena Cox (gc) & Vaughn Seward (vs)

St Patrick's day;
green mangoes in between
the foliage. /gc

A tree with chinese lanterns — /gc
at dusk a slight breeze. /vs

Irish pub —
fewer glasses hanging
over the bar. /vs

Click here for notes and linking details:
http://cflat7.drivehq.com/Renhai_0128.htm

Renhai Reflections 87: An Encounter

An Encounter
A Renhai by Vaughn Seward (vs) & Zhanna P. Rader (zh.r)

The boy runs ahead,
pulling me by a long string —
I soar up-up-up... /vs

A violet friend comes near - /vs
we dive and glide together. /zh.r

Circling each other,
getting dangerously close —
down... down-down... /zh.r

Click here for notes and linking details:
http://cflat7.drivehq.com/Renhai_0126.htm

[This Renhai is another in the "another's perspective" style and was written for young readers.]

Renhai Reflections 86: Pilgrim

Pilgrim
A Renhai by Dr. Vidur Jyoti (vj) & Vaughn Seward (vs)

Frozen pond —
a faint figure approaches
through the fog. /vs

Each pattern glitters — /vs
a name in the frosted window. /vj

Misty eyed
she bids farewell —
fading moon. /vj

Click here for notes and linking details:
http://cflat7.drivehq.com/Renhai_0124.htm

[This Renhai was written with Dr. Vidur Jyoti who lives in India.]

Renhai Reflections 85: Keep Out

Keep Out
A Renhai by Karina Klesko (kk) & Vaughn Seward (vs)

Crosswalk traffic —
three Hail Mary's on the way
to the other side. /kk

A tree's branches all bare — /vs
paint peels off the 'Keep Out' sign. /kk

No Smoking —
the "No" crossed out with
a felt marker. /vs

Click here for notes and linking details:
http://cflat7.drivehq.com/Renhai_0008.htm

[...another one from about a year ago. This one was written with Karina Klesko, one of the co-editors of Sketchbook.]

Renhai Reflections 84: The Sketchbook

Many of the Renhai and poems that appear in this blog are published in the Sketchbook. Sketchbook is an on-line poetry magazine that comes out every two months:
http://tinyurl.com/amvsqd

This month's edition features many of our recent Renhai:
http://tinyurl.com/7h5gqr

Zhanna and I also finally completed a 36-verse "free" renku that we started almost a year ago:
http://tinyurl.com/bj4wk6

You will also find Rengay from our last year's project called "Rengay Through The Seasons". This month the Rengay from last January and February and being featured:

January:
http://tinyurl.com/c6aabh

February:
http://tinyurl.com/b3gjnq