Renhai Studio Archives

A Collection of Renhai by members of The Renhai Studio

A Glimpse Within

A Renhai by Vaughn Seward (Solo)

My upside down
and backwards face in this
new spoon.

Clouds float across
an alpine valley lake.

The puppy's nose
grows huge upon each
Xmas bulb.

Archive Id: 94
Vaughn Seward: Canada
Written:: November 19, 2008

Theme: Reflections
Season: Winter
Kigo: Xmas bulbs
Verse Form: 2-3-2, 3-3, 2-3-2 (Rhythm); No break
Process: Reverse

Links 1/2: Concave (Spoon / Valley).
Links 2/3: Roundish (Clouds / Bulbs).
Links 3/1: New (Puppy / Spoon); Face / Nose.

Notes: In Renga and Renku all but the first verse (the hokku) consist of complete sentences or phrases. We have written Renhai till now following the tradition of Rengay in which each verse is a haiku, typically juxtaposed with a kireji cutting word (or punctuation). This Renhai is an experiment to see what a Renhai would be like if each verse was a complete phrase or sentence.

The justification for trying this is that the hokku, which haiku descended from, requires a kireji because the hokku has no verse to link back to. In a sense the hokku/haiku links within itself. With Renhai this isn't a problem as every verse in a Renhai links with every other verse.

In writing this Renhai a narrative concept emerged in which the middle verse hints at a mountain retreat holiday get-away. The other verses (first & third) depict a couple of related holiday moments, the new spoon perhaps being a gift or something new purchased for the occasion.

Tidbit: Have you noticed that when you look into a metal, reflective spoon that your face is not only mirrored but your face is also flipped top to bottom?