Renga with Bashō #2

Posted on Categories Poetry

still alive

under the slightness of my hat

enjoying the coolness

©️Bashō (1644-1694)

stones glisten with morning dew

birds awake as ghosts depart

©️2018 Ontheland

early summer rain

the green of a rock cypress

lasting how long

©️Bashō

an artist under the ledge

mixes paint and prays for sun

©️Ontheland

rainy season

sea glow lights held up

by the night watchman

©️Bashō

spirits of the mist wander

whiffs of woodsmoke call them home

©️Ontheland

the blue sea

in waves smelling of saké

tonight’s full moon

©️Bashō

a rabbit sails in moonlight

are there answers in his pot?

©️Ontheland

logged tree

see the larger cut end is

a harvest moon

©️Bashō

forests reaped like fields of corn

pockets fill with golden coin

©️Ontheland

on a bare branch

a crow settled down

autumn evening

©️Bashō

still alive, planet quivers

spinning towards destiny

©️Ontheland

~

The challenge here was to create a Renga using six haiku written by Bashō. After each haiku of Bashō I have inserted two lines of seven syllables each. Many thanks to Chèvrefeuille , host of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, who created this Renga challenge.

Image Source: Rabbit in themoon

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Published by Janice

My name is Janice.  I started blogging as Ontheland when I moved from Toronto to a rural area near Kingston, Ontario in Canada.  Over time I have found myself writing poetry, mostly in Japanese forms, such as haiku and haibun.  One of my deepest interests is the natural world: the joy of it and how we can look after it better.

20 thoughts on “Renga with Bashō #2”

  3. Ooo! This is great! Personal favorite: spirits of the mist wander || whiffs of woodsmoke call them home. Nice job! (must give this a try some time.)
    I’ve always seen the rabbit; must squint to see the man. The poet’s curse?

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. Wow! This is beautiful, Janice – there is a wonderful flow between the poems. It looks so complicated to write – I will read and admire in awe. Your final two lines struck me:
    ‘still alive, planet quivers

    spinning towards destiny’

    Haunting, leaving open the destiny and whatever that may be…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you Annika…I may have said it before, but getting closely familiar with these Reichhold translations of Basho’s haiku is very rewarding…I am happy you enjoyed the results 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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