A Mark on the Wall

Renga With Basho #9 A Mark On The Wall

path of the sun
the hollyhock leans into
early summer rain

shallow roots struggling
for a deeper ballast

don’t be like me
even though we’re like the melon
split in two

neglected and forgotten
our relationship  decays

wait awhile
cut the soy beans to the sound
of monks beating bowls

sync the rhythm of our lives
press my heart to yours

summer rain
where the poem card peeled off
a mark on the wall

your words scaring my heart
crumbling tear stained paper

building a bridge
between snow-covered mountains
white egrets

flimsy patch  bares its limit
broken threads dangle loosely

plovers fly away
the evening grows later with
cold mountain winds

our hands linger momentarily
last touch as we separate

© Matsuo Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold, taken from: Basho, the complete haiku)

Missing a Wife

Renga With Basho Hineri #8 missing a wife

Haiku© Matsuo Basho (taken from Basho, The Complete Haiku by Jane Reichhold)

First part of this challenge was to find an ending for this unfinished verse

missing a wife
putting on bamboo grass
——————————

missing a wife
putting on bamboo grass
in a darkened hut

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

path of the sun
the hollyhock leans into
early summer rain

mud splashes the ankles
of the morning workers

above all else
a dependable chinquapin tree stands
in a summer grove

from a spiny burr I pluck
a single ripe seed

a dragonfly
unable to settle
on the grass

disappears with the wind
in the fading light

each with its own light
fireflies in the trees
lodge in flowers

celebrating under the stars
adding music to the night

missing a wife
putting on bamboo grass
in a darkened hut

no sounds of cooking
just another day of labor

an early winter shower
a rice paddy with new stubble
darkens just a bit

workers trudge slowly home
I linger with a wet face

Renga with Basho

Carpe Diem’s Renga Challenge #4 flower-like snowflakes

For this renga challenge or ryogin  the haiku is  by   Matsuto Bashi and the response and lineup by me.

Haiku © Matsuo Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

into the sea
throwing my sandals
rain on my hat

praising the heavens
water for the harvest

falling to the ground
a flower closer to the root
bidding farewell

summer passage
I make my way home

mid-harvest
a crane on the rice paddy
in a village in autumn

heat and dust of the day
cloaked under his wings

village kids
don’t break all the plum branches
for cattle whips

I mourn the passage
of summer fruits and blossoms

sleep on a journey
then you will understand my poem
autumn winds

frost echos the leaves’ edges
summer greens mingling with fire

polished again
the mirror is as clear as
flower-like snowflakes

taking a long hard look
it the year’s new grey