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In The Long Grass
Craig Tigerman, US
Karina Klesko, US
John Daleiden, US
early autumn ripens,
sweet scents and bright hues
slipping away
First Verse: an
insightful Hokku [opening verse]: The first stanza in a
sequence of linked verse, traditionally required to exhibit special
compositional
characteristics including the use of both kigo and kireji. In modern
usage, and
especially since Masaoka Shiki, this verse is known as haiku when composed
as an independent poem.
In early autumn, everything is ripe and the hues are bright. Sweet scents
fill
the air. As in nature and in life, all the splendor—the color is exciting
when
first experienced, but then it becomes familiar, the anticipation is gone
and it is
sometimes replaced with the attitude of "just another day". The same
familiarity follows joyously throughout life, then, at some point in later
years the hues slip away. Life becomes just another day.
a white-tailed deer
caught in moonlight
Second Verse: wakiku
[flanking verse]: The second stanza in a sequence of
linked verse, often considered as a ‘buttress’ to the opening stanza.
A white-tailed deer, even more ethereal, more elusive in moonlight,
perhaps
symbolic of advancing years. The harvest moon or fullness of the moon
reached.
This wakiku pivots nicely with the hokku. Just another day moves into the
night, into a dream realm.
ambulance sirens
halt morning traffic
on bloody pavement
Third verse: daisan (daisanku)
[third]: The third stanza of a sequence of
linked verse, and the first being required to show the qualities of both
‘link’
and ‘shift’. Sometimes, the daisan is described as the 'break-away' verse.
Cf.
hokku, wakiku.
In this verse, humans are threatened with physical limitations, a shift to
the
earthly realm using the senses of hearing and sight. Loud sirens of an
ambulance, a stressful observation of a bloody pavement and perhaps even
the sense of smell awakens. A sudden, forced halt to the morning rush hour
traffic. Perhaps, the deer caused the fatal accident or it was the deer's
blood
on the pavement—the dreamlike visage in moonlight now lifeless.
some curse, one sighs
thinking of home
Fourth verse: [no
season]: In this verse shifts from the outward stimuli to
the inner self. The person inside the person, the one being transported.
Some
are oblivious and curse, annoyed at the pause in their life, but ONE
sighs,
perhaps with relief that he or she has escaped this fate, or is deep in
thoughts about the victim or victims of the accident and their families.
Not
only is there a halt in movement, but also in time, remaining in the same
place for a moment longer than planned. The shift is backwards in time. Ideas,
thoughts look backwards to the security of home. Leaving home one faces
one's own decisions and becomes the recipient of other’s decisions as
well.
The halt in life linked to the previous verse has touched One person to
make
changes and to look at things in a different perspective. So many sides to
life isn't there?
a Siamese cat
sits in the window,
new snow
Fifth verse: [winter]:
A Siamese cat watches in the window and sees the
change in its world. New Snow must be fascinating for a cat to watch from
a
window. Tiny flakes dropping—snowflakes with many sides, no two alike.
This
is a new discovery of nature—here too is a shift in senses. Will it feel
as
wonderful as it looks? Winter is here—everything slows down, shorter days,
yet the hope of a positive change to come.
at sunrise lovers part
from their embrace
Sixth verse: [love]: A
shift from the snow leads to a warm embrace. The sun
does rise again, a new day, new beginning. Lovers part from their
embrace—one becoming two again. Parting from the carnal to the
incarnate—parting from a lust or habit. Sunrise could be a symbol of
enlightenment. A dawning of an idea and a parting from an old one. Each
day
a new creation.
young children
play tag along the bay
as parents smile
Seventh verse: [love]:
A nice shift to the bay. This water verse brims with
life. Happily, children play as parents smile—a cameo picture of life. For
this
verse to happen, one has to be the teller, the seeker living on the
sidelines.
This verse appears at first to be carefree and happy, yet it shifts within
itself
to a deconstruction—what is missing ? There is sadness, a yearning, a
voyeurism felt from the teller—perhaps even envy.
a kite spins clockwise
into the wind
Eighth verse: [spring]:
In the Spring, as clocks are set ahead, a kite spins
into the wind and is carried off as time moves forward at a fast pace.
hyacinths blossom
on the garden paths
in Towne Square
Ninth verse: [spring
blossom]: The scene moves from the wide-open space of the
water and sky expanse to the Towne Square. So many paths confined in this
Towne "Square". The square could be a political, religious, or cultural
reference within itself that confines itself into a set. A square that one
has
been born into that defines one's parameters, even in the extreme, a sub-culture. However, within the squared or defined area there are still paths
and
choices—it appears as long as one stays within the square there is a
positive
value by means of hyacinths blossoming. Herein this verse, hyacinths,
beautiful Spring flowers are all about, already lining the paths.
givers, traders, looters:
freely mingle
Tenth verse: [no
season]: This verse shifts from the beautiful blossoms to
reality. Givers, looters and traders mingle freely. This gives
balance—yin and yang—what goes around comes around. A circle within a square. Everyone
mingles freely: givers, receivers, looters and traders. All social classes
moving
together...all having paths within their limited points of view. Will each
path
then be labeled? Classification within classifications.
last notes
of live punk-rock music rings
at the Bowery club
Eleventh verse: [no
season]: This verse shifts to music and invention. A New
York Times article. The last notes, an ending, or a time that ends—here is
a
reference to 'live' music. Living Music now ringing it's last notes. Music
is the
voice. Punk-Rock is a subset of Rock and Punk music—an invention,
reinventing itself into one form. The Bowery Club is in NYC—the location
of
the radio station of punk rock.
fireflies at dusk
twinkle in the long grass
Twelfth verse: ageku
[concluding verse]: The final stanza of a sequence of
linked verse, traditionally required to be summary, salutation and augury.
Verse twelve is a stunning
ageku that brings the Renku to the beginning of another time of sharing
experiences together—fireflies at dusk, just before the end of day in
the weakest hours—fireflies twinkle with memories. The grass has grown
long, things are a little less visible, but the twinkling—the enchantment
is ever present, and as
In The Long Grass, the title that begins the Renku, this memory too, will reinvent itself. The "enchanted twinkling" of memory haunts our own dusk.
Renku Sabaki—Karina Klesko
Started: October 2, 2006
Ended: October 17, 2006
Read the renku: In
The Long Grass
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