RTTS-36 A Frog's View

A Frog's View

Rengay Through the Seasons by Masago & Friends

Rengay #36, May 4-10, 2008 — by Vaughn Seward (vs)

Haijin

Stanzas

Season

Kigo

Link

Theme:
Frogs

/vs

Into the pond —
the voices of several poets
grow fainter.

Spring

Frog the pond

To 6: Fainter / Louder

Frog jumping in the pond

/vs

Setting sun — each croak
expressed with love.

Spring

Frogs croaking

To 1: Sound; Sinking motion

Croaking frogs

/vs

Tree limb —
morning rays, warm
on the back.

No Season

n/a

To 2: Evening / Morning

Frog sunning on a branch

/vs

Chicken in pursuit —
I barely escape under
the wire fence.

No Season

n/a

To 3: Back / Behind

Chicken chasing frog

/vs

Stone outcrop — a fly
comes tantalizingly near.

No Season

n/a

To 4: Predator situation

Frog desiring to eat a fly

/vs

I hop to centre
lane — an approaching car
grows louder.

No Season

n/a

To 5: Hard surface

Hopping frog

Technical Notes:

This rengay is in the style of the "from-their-perspective" type of haiku. The first verse is from several like this that I had written in 2005/2006. I therefore thought it would be fun to extend the idea throughout the entire rengay.

1. This first verse is a parody-like salute to Basho's famous frog verse (Old pond / a frog jumps in / sound of water). It is said that Basho and his students were discussing haiku in a Japanese garden when Basho heard the splash of a frog jumping into a nearby pond. He immediately wrote this haiku. In Japanese haijin circles this is perhaps the most famous haiku in history, being memorized by most school children in Japan.

2. Male frogs in spring-time croak to attract females for mating. Such croaking is typically carried in a shallow body of water.

4. Chickens will eat insects and even frogs if the frogs are little enough.