Slow Snow: A Solo Junicho

Slow Snow


Before the sunrise
Walking in the autumn mist
The air cool and still

Underneath the roadside bush
The patient fox is waiting

By the garden shed
In the corner of the yard
Near the compost heap

Blssoms of the apple tree
In the clear afternoon light

She reads a novel,
The one her best friend gave her,
And a cup of tea

Scenes from long ago places
Are recalled more often now

The aged couple
Sitting in the hot night air
Beneath the full moon

A flock of angels takes flight
A brief wind raises some dust

"Wait just a second.
I would swear I heard something,"
Then he shakes his head

A blackbird, perfectly still,
Perched on the telephone wire

Over the hay field
Thick, gray clouds are gathering
As night approaches

The first flakes of the season
Falling slowly to the ground


Comment: I thought I would start putting a map, or guide, at the end of my posted renga. I'm thinking this might help some readers, particularly those who are new to renga. If readers have any feedback on this idea, let me know.

Verse 1: Fall/Autumn
Verse 4: Spring and Blossom Verse
Verse 7: Summer, Moon and Love Verse
Verse 12: Winter Verse

It is unusual to have a single verse do triple duty, like verse 7. Double duty is found with the combination of spring and blossom, and often moon and fall are also combined. But three is unusual. As I mentioned in a previous post on the Junicho form, I use a chance procedure to place topics in a Junicho. I role a 12-sided die and assign topics according to the roll of the die. I don't always follow the roll; I'll rearrange the order to provide room for shift, or for esthetic reasons. And the opening verse is always the season I am actually writing the Junicho in.

This time "7" came up three times; for Summer, Moon and Love verses. At first I thought of tinkering with the arrangement, and then I decided it made a nice challenge to see if I could combine all three. So that's how verse 7 came to do triple duty.