Passing Seasons

My response to Carpe Diem Tokubetsudesu #78 Soliloquy no Renga “autumn night” by Santoka Taneda

Chevrefeuille has challenged us to write a Soliloquy no Renga, which is a renga written by one poet, adding our own stanzas to create a “solo-renga”. A renga has two kinds of stanzas, three lined stanza and two lined stanza (as renga and Tan Renga). We may decide how long we will make our Soliloquy no Renga, but it should have at least 6 stanzas. He has provided the following haiku by Santoka Taneda (1882-1940). Santoka Taneda is known for his ‘free-styled’ haiku, no syllables-count, no kigo.

Aki noyo ya inu kara morattari neko ni ataetari

Autumn night–

I received it from the dog

And gave it to the cat.                      © Santoka Taneda

The dog barked at the full moon,

The cat curled up in my lap.

 

Late winter night—

Owls screeched in snowy branches,

Woke me from my dream

Of moonlight in the garden

And fish swimming in a stream.

 

An evening in spring—

Birds built nests in the branches

Of the apple tree.

The garden full of blossom,

A silvery moonlit sea.

 

Late summer twilight—

Lazy dog lay at my feet,

The cat chasing leaves

That had already fallen.

They were bringing in the sheaves.

 

© Kim M. Russell, 2016

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