INTRODUCTION
During the recent MFA314 Japanese Poetic Forms class, WVU students had an opportunity to explore six forms of Japanese poetry, beginning with Haiku and expanding from there. In the last two weeks of the course, three writers--Carolann Neilon Malley, Cynthia Reed
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RENGA
‘Renga’ is a term for a poem written with other people. The “Tan Renga” is a poem written by two people and consists of a haiku and two additional, longer lines, with a shift in mood. Its intention is spontaneity, improvisation, and fun. These two, short Tan Renga were written by Carolann Neilon Malley and Cynthia Reed.
TAN RENGA 1
grandma Annie Pearl
venerates ancient Irish roots--
with a Texas twang (Cynthia)
a family reunion (Carol)
TAN RENGA 2
we divide the moon
split everything
contested divorce (Carol)
he takes his cat, the dog is mine--
who will feed thirteen horses? (Cynthia)
THE TWENTY-STANZA RENGA: ‘NÎGUIN’
The ‘Nîguin’ is a twenty-stanza “Renga” with a script for the beginning and end (depending on the season when it is written) AND hints of seasons, the moon, love, etc., which should be mentioned by the writers in certain, traditional positions.
‘NÎGUIN 1’
PLUM BLOSSOMS, MORNING BELLS
Carolann Neilon Malley, Cynthia Reed, and Sharon Ammerman (edited by Carolann)
June 9-20, 2018
budding white heads bowed
sweet lily of the valley
God’s humble flower (Carol)
summer rings out in the woods--
morning bells: ding-dang-dong (Cynthia)
closer to the house
laughter, shouts, running about
carefree children play (Carol)
hours long, heart race,
my lost child is found napping (Sharon)
guests gone, relief rules
crumpled paper, ribbons tossed
school starts tomorrow (Cynthia)
night time
I spoon against hubby’s back (Carol)
filament legs dance
unseen ripples lap the shore--
a koi in a dream (Sharon)
rat-a-tat his tapped reply (Cynthia)
ringing alarm clock
shower, shave, slip out the door
late for work again ( Carol)
haven't stopped to savor it,
weeping fig reaches the sash (Sharon)
traffic jam, red lights,
deep breath: ahh, that
Bangkok's city tree (Cynthia)
sun’s shortest day,
winter moon extols solstice(Carol)
hours trickle by
darkness lingers, takes its time--
you’re so far away (Carol)
ice and snow melt covers yard
squish squash sing my soggy shoes (Carol)
letter in the post
stamps with kiwi and a teal--
held against my breast (Cynthia)
plum blossoms adorn my hair
whoopee! you come home tonight (Carol)
clouds fill with promise, not gloom
...malbec or merlot? (Cynthia)
seeds disappear in perlite
grow light coaxes them back out (Sharon)
green faces in rows
X's on my calendar
--new life in the sun (Cynthia)
robins search for worms on
spring, oh, sweetest spring, at last (Carol)
‘NÎGUIN 2’
CORNFLOWERS, COBWEBS
Cynthia Reed, Carolann Neilon Malley, and Sharon Ammerman (edited by Cynthia)
June 9-20, 2018
fluttering white in the sun
deer waiting in woods (Cynthia)
no corn left in my garden
hoofprints circle earless stalks (Carol)
hawk drifts, white wingtips
arched, easy-going
above the woodpile (Sharon)
lettuce wilting, midday sun
rabbit watching open gate (Cynthia)
behind darkening clouds
autumn moon hides,
frost forms on pumpkins (Carol)
fallen bluejay tucked in
mother's warning wakes the cat (Sharon)
a scratch
puss is off to the races--
melting dew drops like tears (Cynthia)
thick water drops hit windowpane
a song of pitter patter (Carol)
the first snow, maybe...
sidewalk consumes every flake
without a water stain (Sharon)
broad shovels stand like scarecrows--
alert against an early storm (Cynthia)
fender bumpers, slips,
heart attacks from shoveling--
how nasty is snow? (Carol)
boots invade crust, brush at hand
car reflects the
bells chime across the valley
soon the new will ring (Cynthia)
we lean into naked heat,
fire's croon and crackle love song (Carol)
scurries on carpet
the second cockroach today
the first to live (Sharon)
an early picnic basket
filled with sandwiches and joy (Cynthia)
too much wine and food
my belly belches and twists--
hair of the dog (Carol)
cornflowers
bachelor's buttons, sunny day (Cynthia)
daffodils blossom
nesting season has begun,
cobwebs on the rake (Carol)
equinox: heralds of sun
cherry blossoms bear such joy (Cynthia)
