Yoyoshi “White Dusted Meadow” (Renga Party) January 24, 2016 (First Update February 1st Second Update February 4th)

From Chèvrefeuille:
What a joy to bring the start of our new Renga Party “white dusted meadow”. It’s the second time we are doing this and I hope you all will like it. Let me first tell you the goal of this Renga Party. Making a Renga together is just for fun and it learns you how you can improve your haiku writing skills through association.

Every link, in this Yoyoshi 44, has it’s own season or theme which are already given in the list. In the list you can see BOLD printed abbreviations, which are explained above the list, which correspond with the season or theme you have to use.

The link before you you have to use to associate on to write your own link. I have a little time rule: you have to respond within 24 hours to write your link. Your created link you write down in the comments field including an invitation to the one after you for example: it’s your turn Hank.

Our first Renga was a so called “kasen-renga” and had 36 links, so it was slightly shorter than the “yoyoshi”. For this “yoyoshi” I have asked Georgia (a.k.a. Bastet), our featured haiku poetess of last December, to write the starting verse or “hokku”.

The title of this Yoyoshi is the first line of the hokku.

Here is the “hokku” of this “yoyoshi”:

white dusted meadow
remembering spring’s glory
tufts of pampas grass

Here is our list for this Renga Party:
white dusted meadow

[SP=spring; SU=summer; A=autumn; W=winter; N=non-seasonal or free as in without theme]

A few basic rules to remember. Avoid repeating a noun or verb in the work. Switch subject matter so there are not too many verses on food or water, etc. Link ONLY to the verse above and not to any other. Use the words “insects” and “dreams” only once in a poem.

[3] SP Georgia — hokku
[2] SP Kim Russell
[3] SP Nimi Arora
[2] N Jazzytower
5. [3] MOON/A Candy
[2] A Dove Dungeon
[3] A Dove Dungeon
[2] N/LOVE Writersdream9
[3] N/LOVE Ese Klava
[2] N/LOVE Dolores
[3] N Thom Amundsen
12.[2] N Gayle Rose
[3] MOON/SU Hank (Kakuala)
[2] SU Lothar
[3] SU Christy
[2] N Celestine
[3] FLOWER/SP Milan
[2] SP Chèvrefeuille
[3] SP Chèvrefeuille
[2] N Georgia
[3] N Kim Russell
[2] N Nimi Arora
[3] W Jazzytower
24. [2] W Candy
25. [3] N/LOVE Dove Dungeon
[2] N/LOVE Writersdream9
[3] N/LOVE Ese Klava
[2] N Dolores
[3] MOON/A Thom Amundsen
[2] A Gayle Rose
[3] A Gayle Rose
[2] N Hank (Kakuala)
[3] N Lothar
[2] N Christy
[3] FLOWER/SP Celestine
36. [2] W Milan37. [3] SU Milan
38. [2] N Chèvrefeuille
39. [3] N Georgia
40. [2] A Kim Russell
41. [3] N Nimi Arora
42. [2] W Jazzytower
43. [3] SP Candy
[2] SP Dove Dungeon, should relate to #1 in some way and close the work — ageku

So the renga has begun and as usual the participants are contemplating before writing their contribution to the renga. As you see above each participant is assigned how many lines he/she will write, if they are to use a kigo or seasonal word or a specific theme.

The replies to the renga are posted in the comment page of the renga announcement (link follows) and will begin with Kim Russell … to follow the Renga click Carpe Diem Renga Party #2 white dusted meadow (start date: January 22nd 2016)

Updates: January 28, 2016

If you remember from my post written on the Yoyoshi “White Dusted Meadow” renga party began on January 24th. Our goal is to create a yoyoshi with 44 links for fun and as a learning exercise. Historically the Japanese often held renga meetings with the goal of creating collective poems which is what renga are. We’re in 17 writing this collective poem.

And here’s were we’ve gotten so far!

the hokku:

white dusted meadow
remembering spring’s glory
tufts of pampas grass

Kim M. Russell January 24, 2016 at 9:21 PM

crystals and flakes a jigsaw
blanket covering earth’s green

Nimi Arora January 25, 2016 at 7:35 PM

Warmth forsaken
puzzle of colors scatters
-Balloons depart