2009-01-08

Renhai Reflections 65: Making an Opening


Making an Opening

A Renhai by Jerry McKenzie (jm) & Vaughn Seward (vs)

Victorian mansion —
each tap of the doorknocker
echoes within. /vs

A pileated woodpecker /jm & vs
attacks a suckering birch. /vs & jm

The Lenin ice-breaker —
cracking ice peals across
the frozen sea. /jm

Click here for notes and linking details:
http://cflat7.drivehq.com/Renhai_0112.htm

[Check the notes for more info about the pileated woodpecker and the Lenin ice-breaker.]

17 comments:

Devika Jyothi said...

Hi Masago,

Woodpeckers -- i always try to flee them off when they attack trees. I love birch trees, seen only in photos..

Lenin is my favourite Communist leader...and Victorian mansions are appealing always...

Good set, thanks for the nots as well..

wishes,
devika

John McDonald said...

atmospheric one love it
john

polona said...

a very special atmosphere in this one...

a word to devika: woodpeckers in fact help the trees as they remove parasites which might seriously damage or even kill them so you should be happy to see them do their stuff.

Masago said...

Thank you all.

Good point Polona, our use of attack in "attacking the birch" was intended to be poetic. :-)

Devika Jyothi said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Devika Jyothi said...

I understand Polona...
But I HATE to see that holes that they leave on the bark ... :)

and if that was a poetic, my poetic sense feel 'attacking' was a wrong choice of word...its my feeling...please do not give too much seriousness to it :))

wishes,
devika

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

the two of you worked together well here!

Borut said...

A nice combination...:Queen Victoria and comrade Lenin!:)

Devika Jyothi said...

I am sorry, Masago...

I can't help laughing at Borut's comment...
Infact I was thinking in the same lines..yesterday...

to me the combination seemed strange, though-- Victorian mansion, Birch tree and American woodpecker, Lenin the icebreaker....

if we build such connections -- perhaps paper and fire; fire and water could all be linked, no?

made me wonder -- is Renhai a jigzaw puzzle!?

just my thoughts...

wishes,
devika

Gillena Cox said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gillena Cox said...

nice word 'pileated'

much love
gillena

Masago said...

Devika: To the poet, it does look like the bird was "attacking" the tree whether or not the tree benefits from the action. :-)

In fact, from the link in the notes:

http://tinyurl.com/y2b4qc

...it says, "The Pileated Woodpecker digs characteristically rectangular holes in trees to find ants. These excavations can be so broad and deep that they can cause small trees to break in half."

Masago said...

Devika: You said,
"to me the combination seemed strange, though-- Victorian mansion, Birch tree and American woodpecker, Lenin the icebreaker....

if we build such connections -- perhaps paper and fire; fire and water could all be linked, no?

made me wonder -- is Renhai a jigzaw puzzle!?"

Yes, perhaps, sort of. In traditional Japanese linked poetry it is all about variety and shifting form image to image and yet somehow having each verse connect to the one before and the one after. See:

http://tinyurl.com/8vklze

Devika Jyothi said...

Okay, okay, Masago...

I am in the process of learning Japanese foems..I will check the link and thanks for that, dear

But, these connections -- in the larger scheme of our blog-life seemed a bit too strange..you and me know :))

anyway, i tend to speak out..and yet, one cannot or should not :)

wishes,
devika

Bill said...

I once had a spring robin stabbing the lawn. It's all about perception.

I've been catching up after a very busy time.I've enjoyed your recent entries.

Masago said...

Devika: No problem, thanks for your comments.

Bill: It is good to have you come 'round!

jem said...

Some unusual and striking images which come together well as a whole. Each is very clear to image and distinct. I especially like the link between the doorknocker and woodpecker knocker.