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

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

I have a new "renga challenge" for you. In this special feature I challenge you to create a renga together with Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) with haiku written by him and chosen from Jane Reichhold's "Basho, The Complete Haiku". All the given haiku by Basho are translated by Jane Reichhold.

I will give you six (6) haiku by Basho. You may use them all or take a few from the given ones. You can create your own "line-up" for your renga. The task is to create a renga of at least six (6) stanza and a maximum of 12 stanza. You are the one who has the task to write the two-lined stanza. Try to create a "full circle" or "closed chain" through the last verse, the ageku. You may choose your "hokku", starting verse from the six given haiku.

By the way this kind of renga, written by two poets, is called ryogin. Before I will give you the six haiku to use for the renga I have announcement to make. I will change the name of this special feature to "Renga With Basho"

Snowflake Aralia

Here are the six (6) haiku to work with:

into the sea
throwing my sandals
rain on my hat

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

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

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

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

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

© Matsuo Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

This Renga Challenge is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until August 8th at noon (CEST). Have fun!

Renga With Basho (the new name for our Renga Challenge)