Collaborative renga composed by Hitcher, Dean Kuch, and Gyspy Blue Rose.

kimono=dress
naginata=weapon
Jubei=our protagonist a woman samurai

Renga is an ancient Japanese poetic form of link verses. There are many different types of Renga, some go on up to 100 verses, ours will go up to 36. We broke up the poem in three parts of 12 verses each so it won't be so long. The scheme is 5/7/5 by one poet and 7/7 by another. Ours follows a very specific pattern that I included below.

Renga is pre-haiku. The first verse was called hokku and in the 17th century it became haiku.

The art of renga is in the shifting from verse to verse.

Dean, Hitcher and I don't know what we will be writing next so the poem evolves as we go. It's an exciting project. We are all very thankful that you took the time to read it.

Thank you,

Gypsy



Barren tree limbs break
as brutal, bitter winds blow-
lightning cracks the sky
by Hitcher


the heart breaks as heaven does
tears and rain run down her face
by Gypsy Blue Rose


the warrior's will
begins its brutal battle
to kill or be killed
by Dean Kuch


treachery has terrorized
and taken too many lives
by Hitcher


soul samurai
senses harvest moon--
her fury rises,
by Gypsy Blue Rose


blackening the Autumn
her torrents of rage unleashed
by Dean Kuch


as larch leaves let go
cherished dreams wither and die--
honor arms vengeance
by Hitcher


her wedding white kimono
At the bottom of Green Lake
By Gypsy Blue Rose


Skeletal trees moan
mimicking painful whispers
of a broken heart
by Dean Kuch


She walks slowly from his grave
her naginata burning
by Hitcher


At dawn she leaves home
memories of laughter
linger behind
by Gypsy Blue Rose


slowly the sun sinks, silent
matching Jubei's morose mood.
By Dean Kuch


Renga pattern


1. [3 lines] winter - Hitcher
2. [2] winter - Gypsy
3. [3] non-seasonal should end with a verb - Dean
4. [2] non-seasonal -Hitcher
5. [3] MOON / autumn - Gypsy
6.[2] autumn - Dean
7. [3] autumn -Hitcher
8. [2] non-seasonal / love - Gypsy
9. [3] non-seasonal / love - Dean
10. [2] non-seasonal / love -Hitcher
11. [3] non-seasonal - Gypsy
12. [2] non-seasonal - Dean

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