Renhai Studio Archives

A Collection of Renhai by members of The Renhai Studio

Between

A Renhai by Vaughn Seward (Solo)

Snowy pines —
the squirrel again finds
his pinecones.

Two standing soldiers —
cigarette burning down.

Grocery line —
for the coming week,
provisions in hand.

Archive Id: 196
Vaughn Seward: Canada
Written:: December 5-12, 2009

Theme: Consuming
Season: Winter
Kigo: Snowy pines; Hidden pinecones
Verse Form: Translated from Esperanto
Process: Forward

Links 1/2: Emptying / Burning down; "Posts" (Pines / Soldiers).
Links 2/3: Standing and waiting; Emptying / Filling.
Links 3/1: Provisions.

Notes: This Renhai was written in Esperanto and translated into English. Here is the original Esperanto version:

Inter

   Je neĝaj pinoj —
   la sciuro retrovas
   siajn strobilojn.

   Du starantaj soldatoj —
   cigared' forbrulata.

   La paga vico —
   manĝoprovizo en man'
   por la semajno.

Note that it is still expected in Esperanto haiku writing circles that the 5-7-5 syllable count be adhered to, thus the apstrophe at the end of some nouns. This device for adjusting the syllable count is a long-standing convention in Esperanto poetry which goes all the way back to the founder of Esperanto, Dr. Zamenhof.

This renhai was also an experiment in a new approach to writing renhai. That is, each verse was written without concern for a theme, only about the links between each verse. With the linking itself, the focus was at the emotional level and less at the object or intellectual level. As it turned out, a theme (Consuming) emerged all on its own.