Renhai Studio Archives

A Collection of Renhai by members of The Renhai Studio

Grains

A Renhai by John W. Sexton (jws) & Vaughn Seward (vs)

The sun rises
over the red planet
as Phobos sets. /vs

Ghost-river in its arid bed — /jws
the landbooster skims near. /vs

The shell cities
now grains of sand, rotted empires
simply methane. /jws

Archive Id: 163
John W. Sexton: Ireland
Vaughn Seward: Canada
Written:: January 26-28, 2009

Theme: Planet exploration; Mars; Real perception versus imagination
Season: Summer
Kigo: Rising methane
Verse Form: 2-3-2, 3-3, 2-3-2 (Rhythm)
Process: Forward

Links 1/2: Rising & setting / Skimming; Vehicle (Orbiter / Landbooster).

Links 2/3: Ghost-river / Rotted empires; Arid / Grains of sand.

Links 3/1: Large/small objects (Sand / Sun & orbiter);
Setting (Empires / orbiter); Rising (New civilization / Sun).

Notes:
It was decided that this would be a science fiction renhai for young readers and the images would be placed on the red planet, Mars.

Methane is a summer kigo on Mars as massive plumes of methane have been detected by NASA leaving the planet during the Martian summer. Current explanations being mooted by Nasa are: (a) microbes locked into the permafrost releasing the methane in the warmer months, (b) the gas released by primitive bugs living in aquifers up to five miles below the serface; (c) the gas is emitted by geological process (but this would indicate vulcanicity, and as yet no seismic activity has been detected; however, bearing in mind that Mars has the largest known volcano in the solar system - Olympus Mons - such activity could be very deep and not so far detected.) This perhaps goes to the very heart of the philosophy of national and international kigo. Although in this case it can very reasonably be argued that it is a new category of "interplanetary kigo"!

This renhai shows a Martian day, and a setting moon. The thing about Phobos, is that this in itself is an illusion in Earth terms, because, although Phobos is setting, it'll rise again long before nightfall as it has an orbit around Mars of seven hours. We associate the Moon with night here on Earth, so in a way, on Mars, Phobos could be said to represent an element of night that is soon again to intrude upon Martian day (in another 7 hours). A Martian day is only 41 minutes longer than an Earth day (due to a slower axial rotation that negates the difference in size between the two planets).

There are two other links to the second verse. Mars is the God of War, but with the alternative name of "red planet" we have instead the psychological connection that signifies "red for danger" or "red for anger" giving us two resonances which is furthered added to the name Phobos, which actually means "fear".

Another appropriate connection: here is a day just dawning and the ghost-river is in its bed! Ghosts, of course, generally, although not exclusively, are associated with night.

The "Setting moon / Fallen empire" and the "Rising sun / Rising methane" connections provide a subtle continuity from the opening verse to the closure of the piece.