RTTS-01 Popsicle Stick

Popsicle Stick

Rengay Through the Seasons by Masago & Friends

Rengay #1, Sep 2-8, 2007 - by Vaughn Seward (vs)

Haijin

Stanzas

Season

Kigo

Link

Theme:
Needing Clean-up

/vs

A green sprig
pokes above the edge —
eaves trough.

Autumn

Eaves trough debris

To 6: Edge / Curb

Eaves trough debris

/vs

Leaves in the back yard,
a frisbee almost buried.

Autumn

Leaves on the ground

To 1: Debris / Leaves

Leaves

/vs

Rear car window —
"Wash Me" handwritten
in stuck-on dust.

No Season

n/a

To 2: Back / Rear

Dirty window

/vs

Dirty dishes
spread on the kitchen table...
vase of daisies.

No Season

n/a

To 3: To be washed

Dishes

/vs

A boy in his room —
his stuff on the floor.

No Season

n/a

To 4: Kitchen / Bedroom

Stuff on the floor

/vs

Red ants swarm
over a popsicle stick —
driveway curb.

[Autumn]

[Ants; usually in Summer but can appear in Autumn]

To 5: Kid stuff

Popsicle stick

Technical Notes:

1. The first verse was written after an early Autumn walk we took around the neigbourhood. At one house I saw a little weed poking above the edge of the eaves trough. It reminded me of the debris in our own eaves trough that would soon need attention.

Verses 1 and 2 are primarily nature-centred with a bit of human in the image. In verse 3 & 4 it is primarily human-related with nature involved (dirty window and daisies). In verse 5 it is entirely human-related. And in the final verse we have nature and human activity sharing equal billing.

6. Ants swarming over a popsicle stick would more commonly be associated with Summer. In this setting a discarded popsicle stick is symbolic of a summer that has come to an end. Ants here get one last feast and must now prepare for a coming winter "hibernation".