Shrine Tourists Renku

(May 2005 - August 2006)



Shrine tourists
Pass by history
Stopped by cake

MB (1)



on Amida's palm
rests a mosquito

EL (2)


pray for the meek ones,
pray for love;
clap hands for mercy

RP (3)


Gion summer night
rose colour yukata

EL (4)


sun's last rays
music is ended --
old friend dies

RP (5)


through Iowa clouds
think of Buddy Holly

TT (6)


ice cubed thoughts melt -
puddles of watermelon dreams

CC (7)


garden still as stone
green leaf falls to ground

dm (8)


foolish man
picks up fallen leaf,
rolls a fag

RP (9)


typhoon winds cool brain--
still no haiku comes

TT (10)


Giant green
Azalea marks
rainy season

EL (11)


orange, orange: the
full-throated day lilies

EA (12)


On the roof,
gargling magpies:
it's morning!

RP (13)

snail descending wall
hoikuen awaits

DL (14)


Kamogawa swells
Refresh the faces
Of stone turtles

TT (15)


Alone they endure
while waters flow by

SH (16)

Firefly Tears Renku (March - May 2005)

Chiran's rain
layers on tears of
fireflies

EL (1)

Australia has no
fireflies -- only sun

RP (2)

For Eli
fireflies, flowers shine--
sing: faa-faa!

ZS (3)

In the bath singing
Fly Me to the Moon

EL (4)

Rabbits in the moon
know the beautiful star
-our earth

MK(5)

Brightest stars tonight
Autumn trees ghost red

RP (6)

nightime pond--
drunken pink blossoms,
kids--fall in.

ZS (7)

Boy with Hayfever --
mountain of tissues

EL (8)


Trees exhale--
Cedars sneeze dust as
Cherries pop corn

TT (9)

In the dark this film
Lights across her face

EL (10)


Bees emerge
from behind ivy --
morning sun

RP (11)

From Peace Dome ruins,
a sudden sadness

EL (12)


Skies darken,
Deep distant rumble --
A loon cries

RP (13)

crow combat--careens
black tears streaking blue

ZS (14)


under bridge
duck shadows sleeping --
north white stream

EL (15)


chorus of May frogs
croak, "It's cold! Where's Spring?"

TT (16)

Spring Poets Renku (2004-05)

poets wait for spring--
snow fills each leaf scar.

RP (1)


left alone
the grease falls from the
kitchen fan

EL (2)

sweet potatoes sold
in white paper cups

JH (3)


Overlooking
the nearest only seeing
far surface

MK(4)

shadows grow, sun sets --
Gion plum blooming

EL (5)


first crow caw
splits morning silence --
cold and black

RP (6)

living kyoto life
with a thousand ghosts

EL (7)


Inhaling
spirits: her plum wine,
all fragrance.

EA (8)

exhaling mountain
sighs, cedars steaming

ZS (9)

rain all night
and fierce howling wind
split peach tree

RP (10)

in bed two of us
hiding from winter

EL (11)


shadows thrown
by castle walls
hide ice

TT (12)

charging blue school skirts
clicking cameras

EL (13)


Donut King
teeny-bopper stands,
pulls wedgie

RP (14)

Burger wrappers litter
Guinness-colored Irish bogs

TT (15)

Setsubun,
burning rosary:
each bead glows.

EA (16)

BURNING HILLS RENKU (MAY 2003 - FEB 2004)

after rain
falling yesterday -
hills afire

EL (1)


narcissus explode
suck in drunken bees

RP (2)


five corks on
table now laughing
purple lips

EL (3)

weird plants on the bank
reaching me their fingers

EN(４)

harvest done --
scarecrow's lonely face
in Shiga

EL (5)

fall garden captures
skyscrapers alive

RG (6)

exhaling clouds
this frosty morning
Fuji-san

ZS (7)

senile woman's brown
cat pulls at its leash

EL (8)

half-eaten
picnic food in bag--
sudden rain

RG (9)

cobalt ajisai
sprung from a gravestone

ZS (10)

broken wing
sparrow brought home gone
this morning

EL (11)


high soaring falcon
chased by angry crows

RP (12)

stepping out
to the milky way--
no power

EL (13)

brushing bamboo leaves--
longing to see her

LW (14)

Sweeping monk
under Chiang Mai sun --
sleeping dogs

EL (15)


Cool misty morning
stray cat at the door

RP (16)