MITSUAKI KOJIMA

Vasile Moldovan and Magdalena Dale composed "Fragrance of Lime," a book of renga poems, linked verses, originally written in Romanian.
The first stanza is written on three lines by Moldovan and the second stanza on two lines by his partner, who is also the translator. The linked verse is composed by two poets on five lines.

Sometimes the wind blows
from the north other times from the south
autumn balance

Tipping a reed
the first dragonfly

When a third stanza is added it is linked only to the previous lines, and the original stanza is conveniently forgotten. Moldovan added the following third stanza.

Like daylight
the lake with water lily
autumn moon

Modern renga in Japan is called renku and is usually penned by several poets who continue to inspire each other for up to 100 stanzas. Most of the renga penned by the Romanian duo continue alternating stanzas up to 36 times, called a kasen. This was the most common form of poetry in Matsuo Basho's time. He was once asked by an innkeeper to compose a poem to commemorate his lodging in the early winter of 1691.

Yado karite na o nanorasuru shigure kana

At an inn
I am asked my name
winter rain

Noriko Yoshida recently attended a festival to hear taiko drums. Caught in the rain, the musicians continued to play.

Autumn rain
on drummer's shoulders
rhythmically

Michael Corr has written several anthologies, including "Brooming to Paradise" edited by Barry Gifford and Gary Wilkie.
A verse from the opening sequence reminds the reader to focus on one's life's work.

All crannies invite the broom and
Touch me through the
Broom stick

Push slowly over the mats
Don't rush this
Important work

When Corr reads poems in the Asahi Haikuist Network he often tries to add a linked verse reply. He was inspired to add a few lines to the following poem written by Susan Antolin on Aug. 4: Dreaming of escape/I add "get passports"/to my to do list.

List your lines
unison pure hearts
cicadas

Corr also added three lines to Shuichi Kosaka's original: Painting of Tahiti/matching the living room/potted hibiscus.

Hibiscus
white cowers thrifty
squash trumpets

In the Oct. 6 issue, Sosuke Kanda penned: Cricket chorus/daytime at platform 13/ Ueno station. Satoru Kanematsu similarly wrote: Exit 3/cicada's songs pour/down the stairs.
Corr continued with the following lines about a painted turtle sunning itself and a salmon swimming upriver to spawn in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Stations found
best striped feet forward
turtles sun

Staircase fall
Skokomish Indians
smoked salmon

Want to try composing haiku ?

Back numbers

The next issue of the Asahi Haikuist Network appears Dec. 1. Readers are invited to send haiku to David McMurray at the International Herald Tribune/Asahi Shimbun, 5-3-2 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8011, fax to 03-5541-8539, or e-mail <is@asahi.com>.