Carpe Diem #1549 a pillow of wind (Renga With Basho ... Hineri)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at a new episode of our wonderful Kai. This month we are celebrating autumn, the most wonderful season in my opinion, with all themes about autumn. Today I have a nice "Renga With Basho ... Hineri" for you. As you all know 'hineri' means 'twist' and in this Renga With Basho ... Hineri I have made it even more difficult I think.

First this by the way: Through all the circumstances at the hospital I am far behind with visiting and commenting on your submissions. I hope to visit you all a.s.a.p. but I cannot tell you when and how.

As you all know Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) was a great renga-master and has written a lot of "hokku" to start a renga with and all his "hokku" became renown as haiku. For today's episode I have chosen six haiku themed autumn by Basho of course all were taken from Jane Reichhold's "Basho, The Complete Haiku" as I do every time as I create an episode of "Renga With Basho ..."

Because of our "autumn" themed month I have chosen all autumn haiku to create your renga with. As I said above this is a "Renga With Basho ... Hineri" episode, so with a twist. This time you have to use the fourth haiku as the "hokku" (starting verse) and ... and this is a new challenge I think, the sixth haiku must be the sixth haiku in your renga too. The other four haiku you can line-up in your own choice. Of course I also challenge you to make the "chain" complete with your "ageku" (closing verse). You have to add the two-lined stanza with approximately 14 syllables.

Here are the six haiku to use for your "Renga With Basho ... Hineri", let us take pride in the honor to create a Renga with the master:

autumn's wind
mouth at the sliding door
a piercing voice

asleep
the good-looking bush clover
has a flowery face

that handsome man
clearly is no longer living
a rain-hidden moon

Japanese Cedar (bonsai)

autumn has come
visiting my ear on
a pillow of wind *

is it a spider
with a voice crying
the autumn wind

end of the month
no moon hugging an ancient cedar
in the storm **

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold; taken from "Basho, The Complete Haiku")

* this one must be your "hokku"
** this one must be your 6th haiku

A wonderful series of haiku to work with I think. I am looking forward to your renga with Basho. Have fun!

This episode is open for your submissions tonight at 7:00 PM (CET) and will remain open until November 27th at noon (CET). I will try to publish our new episode later on.