[SamIam]

Renga is a form of Japanese poetry written by two or more people. It is a cousin to the haiku. The basic component of the renga is the tanka - a five line poem of with the first person writes 3 lines of 17 syllables. The next person completes the tanka with 2 lines. The form goes 5-7-5 followed by 7-7. But you can make your own variations within a form. A third person may add 3 more lines, etc and the poem becomes a rangu.

It sounds complicated but is actually pretty easy and kind of fun. Here's an example:

(first poet)
Rain chases bright leaves down
Leaving naked branches -
Like arms of a supplicant.

(next poet)
A girl reaches for her lover
Like the geese, he flies away.

I'll start with the first three lines and the next poster can add two, etc.


Having reddened the plum blossums
The sunset attacks
Oaks and pines - chases through their rows.