~Haikus, Tankas and Rengas 2~

Juliet in January Renga

3 February 2005
Panama City, Florida

Where are you kind dear?
Love that giveth without thought,
All it has,—true heart.

Ah, Thou doth complain,
That unrequited is Love,—
Doth Love require love?

Moon looks wan at sun,
Perceives glamor,—fulgor bright,
Loves reflecting rays.

No, I cannot guess,
I'm too old to divinate,—
Obvious, or not.

Yes, we are the same,
Confused our emotion's state,
How can this abate?​

 

hot coffee & cream Renga

3 February 2005
Panama City, Florida

To the sunny west,
Arrived & read you're brain dead,
With respirator?

Take a break & walk,
Brisk to move the blood & brain,
Maybe it will help.

alas, here in East,
snow has frosted over mind;
dormant ice-neurons.

impulse fails to jump
past frozen abyss—but still
my blood colors red.

Heard it's 3 feet more,
Blanketing precious brain,
What to do for thoughts?

Jump-start cold neurons,
Electric shocks does it take?
Sounds like cattle prods.

Maybe a hot broth,
Cinnamon with chocolate,
& Some vanilla.

Or a roaring fire,
Yellow & red flames aspire,
All hearts hot expire.

the joy of midterms—
quite sufficient stimulus;
fingers numb instead.

off to the hangman:
the next eleven-page test
becomes my scrap-sheet.

coffee: ambrosia
for an exam-weary girl,
devil's addiction.

Red devil's adept,
Complains 'bout Hell's circumstance,
Heat delirious,
Hot delicious.

Hand throbs from pencil,
Mind is weary from thinking,
Tests,—validating.

Life's sieve winnowing,
We work hard to escape it,
Just help it discrete.

Caffeine is my joy,
Green tea—hot coffee—day's brew,
Helping mind to see.

Coffee with cream morn,
After dark evening's cold rain,—
Sip & think & dream.

Delightful approach,
Civilized conversation,—
Hot tea and warm scones.

Pressure taking tests,
Moves emotions, heart & mind—
To give all their best.

Life continual,
Demanding & exacting,—
Tests our very best.​

 

goldfish jump Renga

2 February 2005
Panama City, Florida

Lin—please, post it, dear.
something like that i will do,
echoes & replies,—
hopefully italic's mark,
reversed will be,—yours & mine.

How could I resist?
If you posted this & that,
Italic these words,—
Underlying meanings lie,
How can they foretell what's true?

Mystery it seems,
That another soul can see,—
Beauty in life's sea.

Lithe, lissome time's grace,
Longing feelings,—moonlit nights,
Langoring in heart.

What's this chemistry,
That reduces,—oxidates?
Finding complements.
Seeking compliments.

How to find a name?
Adam's question,—ancient,
"Ice-neurons,—caffeine?"

Ice-cold rain black drowns,
Aquarium burbles up,—
Trapped inside or out.

Endeavors all day,
Happy their fulfillment gone,
Now its time to eat,
Talk a bit of this & that,
Then repose in blissful sleep.

oh, to resin-bind
such eloquence: flattering,
that i should receive.

certainly, mind toils
to speak in efficiency—
five-seven-five, gone!

i, only one fish
in the world's tempting sea-sky,
have hardly swum it.

not hydrophobic;
yet love is only a word
which i have faint-felt—
vaguely surprising, perhaps,
is my quest to dissect it.

my goldfish have grown
fat and languorous, waiting
for me to feed them;
Chinese essay, too, awaits,
side-by-side with forensics.

Ouch,—Thy words do sting!
That flattery they should fling,—
Sudden, happening.

posted thus,—haiku,
hi, i think i mite luv u,
seven minus two.

From square goldfish bowl,
Rounded yellow fish abrupt,—
Jumps into air world.

Surgery precise,
Can unwind love's canny mine,
Trap set off by time,
Propagates in human line,
Turning soul's life all aside.

Dr. Bill Bass says,—
Death possesses beauty strange,
Maggots mark our end.

Chinese love to eat,
All the things inside fish tank,—
Starting with goldfish.​

 

Fresh Sushi—Renga

4 February 2005
Panama City, Florida

in the Orient,
not only do they consume
goldfish & catfish—
dark octupi occupy
in bowels, along with shark.

antennae-twitching
lobsters, still alive in dish,
are raw but eaten.

so death does end life
in both sea creatures and Man;
gilt scales flash human.

i prefer to side
with tofu duck, melon soup—
sea's treasure cherished.

sea slug rotund long,
out from aquarium comes,—
slither fresh sliced cuts.

omnivorous feast,
ancient habits sublime,—
delicacies,—treats.

ah, what is freshness?
some would say it's that uncooked,—
does heart, if seared, count?

silver scaled mermaid,
long green tresses down her chest,—
harpoon—shashimi?

energy consumes,
all that energy creates,—
makes more energy.

Aztec appetite,
Red heart cut with flint sharp knife,—
Volcano,—blood feast.​

 

Summer Kiss

4 February 2005
Panama City, Florida

Robbed Thy summer kiss,
By a robin bold and red,—
Flew in day's hot noon.

Ah, sweet words flow smooth,
Kind, soft spring waters kissing,—
Envelop life's solitude,—
Make true dreams of love.
Gentle,—kind spring water's kiss,—

How could I forget?
Thy summer breath,—aroma,
Apple tree shade kiss.
Sweet musk-dew between Thy breasts,
Moist earth,—fertile passion red.

Touches gentle sweet,—
Apple petals while I sleep,
Soft upon my cheeks.

Bright green days with sun,
In this splendor glows Thy love,
Coverlet for day.

Sweet grass stalk I chew,
Soon turns yellow into hay,—
Summer changing sun.

Summer's changing sun.​

 

5 February 2005
Panama City, Florida

Thee and I—What's love?
Captured in your blink,—I see,
Little Cupid's flight.
(Little Cupid's fright.)

Men give all their heart,
Foolish creatures perishing,
In love's burning pyre.

Ah, He doth suspire!
"Fair maiden Thou doth abuse,—
A love, pure & true!"

Love, that's not crazy, . . .
Well,—Is that love? But, if not?—
How to find True love?

Can passion remain?
Is hot impulse devotion?
Friends & Lovers,—both?

In a moment—man.
For eternity—woman.
Two time spans for love.

Man's passion—hunger.
Woman's caring—appetite.
Red, & White—roses.​

 

mermaid's song renga

6 February 2005
Georgetown, Washington D.C.

mermaid heart salt-dipped
in ocean depths; achingly,
sea coral decays.

starfish re-grow arms,
but mermaid fin is once-grown—
at market, costly.

lion-fish, lording
over his twenty gallons
of purified tank,
asserts trident dominance
over bubble-eye goldfish.

bubble-eye bursts, trapped
by whirlwind filter: simply
pseudo-Charybdis.

Patience,—Ocean keeps,
Close beside His blue-green heart,
Fluid-motion life.

Pickled herring, Thee?
Forsake this young sardine,—swim!
Young life bright to live.

Corals in the deep,
Generate an orange light,
Glow themselves to sleep.

Braided coral crown,
For a princess of the deep,
Neptune offers Thee.

& Of dominance?
Each young male fighting for place,—
Truly Nature's pace.

Orange tendril breaks,
From an ocean pentagram,
Grows again to five.

Look among the shrubs,
In life's aquarium square,
There you might find love.

But all comes in time,—
You will find treasures sublime,
As you grow to prime.​

 

gold rush renga

6 February 2005
Georgetown, Washington D.C.

Dwell on you blessings,
Discount your many burdens,—
In life's piggy bank.

Harvest heart-felt love,
Ambrosia divine sweet,—
No gold can pay for.

Sun's rise over snow,
Solomon's treasures in joy,
Magical envoy!

Sun glows yellow warm,
Emulating gold grows cold,—
Sharp disparity.

One's a mass glows hot,
Other's gloss that sits cold lump,—
Which one values man?

Heart chases gold's glint,
Persistent—avid soul's lust,—
Fool turns into ghoul.

Fool's gold glitters bright,
Cold gloss mimicry enchants,—
As does false heart's song.

Far & wide I've searched,
For coruscating bright gem,—
Fair, sweet woman's smile.

Moisturizing cream,
Your soft words on my hard skin,—
Smoothing wrinkled life.

How to dissuade moon,
From persuasions make her swoon,
Love's fool—crying loon.​

 

Lullaby—Renga

5 February 2005
Panama City, Florida

longing lullabies,
blinking, nodding,—sleepy eyes,
soothing mother's rhyme.

Detach mind from day,
With a balmy sing-song voice,—
Parent's lovingly.
Patience soothingly.

O—that nether place,
Where a child drifts off to sleep,
Mystic magic land.

Mother Goose refrains,
Or even just warm, soft hum,
Lulls child's heart to dreams.

Fierce attachment this,—
Love a mother gives at night,—
Soft security.

What'd I dream last night?
Just remember lullabies,—
Not the castles bright.​

 

love's leaving—renga

9 February 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

Schumann—piano plays,
I imagine your twirling,—
Life's ballerina.

With a kiss you left,
What gentility that was,—
Then, not now, someday.

¿Would you twirl me too?
¿Spin my soul—wild abandon?
¡Pull hard on heart's strings!

Would that it were so,
That love moved rapidity,
When it dagger sunk.

Color red you spun,
As we circled round & round,
¿Who will leave whom first?

¿Was that you who cried?
I thought rain and sun were mixed,
Yellow into gray.

Pouring all your tears,
Dewdrops falling cherry pink,
Spring without bright sun.​

 

in ocean's dark realm—renga

10 February 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

wrathful Poseidon
knows not the concept of tact
nor the truth of love.

jellyfish-lantern
promises of vast queendom:
disintegrating.

he left sweet nymph-maids
to raise merchildren alone;
coral, now cradle.

merchild now mermaid—
she twines long hair with seashells,
while Poseidon sees.

seahorse chariot
with reins of woven seaweed
now chases mermaid.

what she's known of love
is neither grand nor gentle;
dares not swim deeper.

but sun-borne spirit
trickles light into sea's cave,
beseeching—a suit.


cynic heart speaks out,
bitter leaf life's tea did brew,—
smoke of strong cigar

Ocean's churn cares not,
for each individual,
waves merge indiscreet.

banished from their realms,
fairies, sprites and queens bewail,
¿where's fair unction's dream?

colonies create,
residues that long remain,
backbone of sea's reefs.

tsunami o'erlooked,
coral reefs buried 'neath wave,
submerged stayed alive.

cradled by blue deep,
where red, yellow cannot go,
life still winds its course.

love's an empty word,
lost amidst ocean's tumult,
longing siren song.​

 

undeclared love—renga

10 February 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

A crush on no one,
Is better than on someone,—
Ripping heart to bits.

Now I've realized,
That I truly love no one,—
Saved myself some tears.

But perhaps it's best,
To disdain each one the same,—
For there's no one yet.

¿Why speak of love's way?
Knowing its four letters say,—
Damn it all—¡Deep Hell!

The best love's not real,
Imaginary square root,
You don't have to pay.

¡Hey you,—over there!
Come here if you dare not scare,—
Vampire love declares.

In bright faery land,
Wherein hidden lie all truths,—
There true love is found:
Perhaps at the rainbow's end,
Or, maybe in moon's gold glow.​

 

different times & places—renga

5-10 February 2005

robin breast stained dark
with apples' tart juice, while lark
soaks sun-prismed arc.

earth's pomegranate mark
blooms 'til Spring-maid peels birch bark:
soft astilbes' remark.

Bet you thought I'd left,—
Without even a fond word,
Dew drop on green fern.

Found a spot of sun,
Sit beside life's brisk sidewalk,
& Think about larks.

Preening ladies pass,
Strolling in the morning light,
Sports cars flash about.

Life abrupt brought halt,
To these thoughts you started on,—
Now there's rain & gray.

Apple blooms drip wet,
Sweetness impregnates clear drops,
Splash on feathers brown.

Open beak catches,—
Apple canopy dew formed,—
Water surrounds green.

Would kisses as sweet,
Issue forth to fill my life,—
¡Alas!—Soft rain's left.

Bits of your deep red,
Pomegranate love warm lips,—
Two fresh blooms in Spring.

Rationality,—
Intrudes in everything,
¿What to calculate?

Each little drip runs,
Its own course & size,—
Down the window pane.

Next to me no one,
Empty seats along air route,—
Look beyond at sky.

¿Birches below plane?
I imagine brown lean hands,
Stripping bark in Spring.

¡O my little bird!
¿Did you brew some cider strong?
¡Intoxicating!

Lark pecks at green-red,
Robin peeks at strange motion,—
Crab apples with dings.

Two birds,—red & brown,
Particularities strange,—
Differentiate.

¿Why do I believe,
Brown lark pollinates apples?
Blossoms,—wide white bells.
When I know she spends,
Almost all her life in flight,—
& The rest in song.

Less that's more fills best,
Though bits of you would suffice,—
Choco-chip cookie.

Pick & nip sublime,
Snippets—tidbits—delicious,
Nibbling on your lips.

¿Where's the monster'd come,
Intruding upon fond love,—
When there's no gun laws?

White coconut meat,
Soft, delicious cool & sweet,—
Tongue on tongue dream bliss.
​

 

sleepless—renga

10 February 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

mind moves room to room,
moon's light slivers past shutters,
soul flits star to star.

some noise—motion—dogs,
from the land of dreams mind comes,
to a blackened world.

ears tell mind—¡awake!
somewhere, something, sometime—¡noise!
mind walks dreams to life.

poem voices rhyme,
mind listens to words and beats,—
eyes open—dark pool.

short fond stay with dreams,
faery land of fantasy,—
bright flight to dark gloom.​

 

merman—mermaid renga

10 February 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

mermaid, gone to meet
sun-cloaked demigod, is dead--
silver blood stained crags.

fins: no use on land;
love: no use in Ocean's eyes;
sun-sprite haunts sea caves.

iced starfish cocktails
disturbed by sombre message:
mermaid dead by Man.

sea-nymph shears her hair,
weaving shroud for fallen child,
but he simply frowns.

sunlight filters past
Ocean's anemone guards,
bathing casket gold.

man's heart brittle breaks,
¿was it seashore and a wave?—
howling wind's lament.

flying fish skim sea,
flowing o'er low breezy ways,—
fleeing hidden fears.

¿was death caused by love?
¿or to make more sashimi?—
cannibals—man-kind . . .

enveloped in black,
her heart seeking deepness,
love, seeping sleepless.

¿where is treasure fond?
if heart knows not its vault's store,
shimmering gold waves.

merman tried to sing,—
found all he could do was squeal,
like a rubber duck.

pod of dolphins jump,
at the sight of sun above,
through reflection's glass.

double mirrored sea,
some above and some beneath,—
can't discern truth's plane.
can't discern pain's truth.

She sees green Her hair,
I see brown My covering,
Sea or Sun tinged beings.​

 

Renga

10 February 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

Black coffee bitter,
Brown cigar—hot mist and smoke,
Mystery of dark.

Caffeine inspired words,
Nicotine imbued soul's breath,—
Banish fear and death.

Purple or deep red,—
Passioned roses blooming wide,
Woman's lips entice.

Crunch & munch,—much lunch,
Touch—inside mouth such soft mulch,—
Fruits & vegetables.

Cannibal desire,
Basted body gently roast,—
In love's pit & fire.

Just your breath on ear,
Ecstasies of life my dear,
All my soul would sear.

Flowers know the end,
Soon will fall upon us all,
Dressed in black & white,
With a red rose in lapel,
And laced green leaf for a bed.​

 

thief—renga

10 February 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

¡Ah! You read my mind,—
¿How could you foresee my words?
¿Was it difficult?

Necromancy,—¿Hard?
¿Or's it harder to enclose,—
Feelings inside heart?

¿Why'd I skip to this?
¿Aren't they just blackened marks,—
Scrawled upon white life?

I don't understand,
What serendipity means,—
Tiny bitty things.
Random acts that come & go,
Tortuous,—insinuate.​

 

specialized to sting—renga

10 February 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

Bees sting once and die,
Like so many hearts oft do,—
Wasps stay in the fray.

Hexagram of wax,
Bees fill up with honey sweet,—
Wasps build walls of gray,
Entrap in them their dead pray,
Never near them can relax.

Both defend with sting,
But one leaves their heart in fight,
Buttressing their queen.

African bees wild,
In their manner do approach,
Warrior lust wasps.

Little hairy bee,
Murder hymenopteran,—
Killers with a sting.

Ovipositor,
Stinging through & through my heart,
Your sharp words & snarls.

¿Why didn't I know that
heart—singular bee sting—once
given would kill me?

Membranous wings,
Carrying sharp killer sting,
Sleek their specialty.​

 

Andaren's Renga

11 February 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

Avalanche—all fates,
Rolling down precipices,
All living species.

Ouroboros rolls,
Circular serpent tail bites,
Past & present merge.

I woke up this day,
Can't remember yesterday,
Dreams became my fay.

Is it same the sun,
After evening's shine on moon?
Glowing fusion's tune.

even Time disdains,
to fix Her subtle domain,
with sure constancy.

Gaelic, none I know,
though remembered past brings forth,
spans of eons gone.

Gaia twirls each day,
Round about its axis tilt,
Courting moon & sun.

A thousand years hence,
Maybe we'll find other worlds,
Where constancy lives.​

 

You loved, I loved, ¿& then?

11 February 2005
Corpus Christi, Texas

There,—you said it all,
¿What's left for me to say Dear?
Only kisses count.

But, ¡no! Perhaps, ¡yes!
Could it be then sometimes so,—
Sun rays ask bright moon.

¿How can it be so?
¿When did those butterflies go?
Snow flakes melting soft.

¿Is that what you thought?
¿That only your heart burst red?—
Mine was shred and bled.

Now, understand this,—
How mad soul's blue sanity,—
Permeates deep heart.

I purse my two lips,
Tongue searches for your sweet taste,
Onion smothered steak.​