November 2011 – Japanese History

My Early Japan class did a renga exercise today. This was the result. “JD” is me; I served as scribe and poet master, but didn’t try to maintain full-bore traditional limits or styles. It was a 50-minute class period, with only 5 students.

Where squirrels once dug Under the spreading pine tree Now only gravel	JD
As the winter comes quickly the rodent finds no more food	JA
brown, dead oak, cold harsh the pickup rumbles past it now oblivious	GD
motor rumbles on the path mighty oak falls in the road	JW
No one hears the tree but everyone hears the sound of chainsaws roar	JD
The lumberjack has found work to live another season	KB
tiny sprigs of soft grass pushing through the hard earth crust carpeting the ground	GD
the newborn pig starts to grow bouncing sausage on my plate	JA
summer heat burns me big breakfast upsets my gut fever running high	JW
small hens pecking at the ground feathers ruffling in the wind	GD
they have no idea how much trouble their children will cause them today	JD
they do as they wish despite big sticks and loving guidance	LA/GD
Buford’s mighty club moonshine and copper pipe fly fleeing through the woods	GD/JD
bathtub still makes sweet nectar keeps a man warm in autumn	JA
red, yellow, bronze leaves rocky top will always be home, sweet home, to me	GD
college kids dancing freely great music helping movement	JW
The sixties live on sound soothing the troubled creek and the beat rolls on	GD
leaves drift lazily downstream where they go, nobody knows	JA
Dangerous waters the world is all connected but I like this place	JD