Friday, January 3, 2014

Cleveland Collaborative Renga- part 2!

the Cleveland Collaborative Renga!
We have now finished the opening six verses (the "jo"), and now we're in the main part (the "ha").
(to see the opening stanzas, click here, to continue to part 3, click here).



Public Square:
privatized
and empty

      cars roll past the monument,
      bronze soldiers from long ago

          statues of soldiers--
          their cast iron eyes downcast--
          retreat from my love. 


              the abandoned Siamese
              blue eyes dim in winter light

                   ghosts of the city
                   shadows beneath parked cars
                   silent, waiting, watching

                        eidolons of burnt rivers
                       
histories of bone and ash

ancient children dance
rose blown wind rings water songs
insubstantial Moon

      our paths always circle back
      how well our feet know these roads

           Euclid Avenue 

           red, green, blue line, trolley stops 
           time leaves us baggage.

                tactical assault backpacks
                to carry childhood sorrows

                     blue sky morning
                     your pink hair-rollers
                     on the floor 


                          eleven roses -- heart pierced
                          by thorns of the absent stem





  • Renga are poems which alternate three line verses in haiku format (5-7-5) with two line verses (7-7).  
  • Each verse links to the previous verse, but not to verses before that.


  • Join the fun!
    To add a stanza, continue to part 3!


    Background info:

    12 comments:

    Geoffrey A. Landis said...

    Cars roll past the monument,
    bronze soldiers from long ago

    Holly said...

    Statues of soldiers--
    their cast iron eyes downcast--
    retreat from my love.

    dan smith said...

    the abandoned Siamese
    blue eyes dim in winter light

    Geoffrey A. Landis said...

    Cats of the city
    shadows beneath parked cars
    silent, watching, waiting

    Geoffrey A. Landis said...


    (contributed by J.E. Stanley):
    eidolons of burnt rivers
    histories of bone and ash

    Miranda Macondios said...

    ancient children dance
    rose blown wind rings water songs
    insubstantial Moon

    Geoffrey A. Landis said...

    our paths always circle back
    too well our feet know these roads

    Anonymous said...

    Euclid Avenue
    Red, green, blue line, trolley stops
    Time leaves us baggage.

    Shelley Chernin said...

    tactical assault backpacks
    to carry childhood sorrows

    dan smith said...

    blue sky morning
    your pink hair-rollers
    on the floor

    dan smith

    J.E. Stanley said...

    J.E. Stanley said. . .
    eleven roses -- heart pierced
    by thorns of the absent stem

    Geoffrey A. Landis said...

    a sidewalk crevice
    in the cracked city concrete:
    a purple thistle

    Cited...

    The poet doesn't invent. He listens. ~Jean Cocteau