This rengay was published in Skylark, a Journal of Tanka,
Volume 5, Issue 2, Winter 2017

 

               DAY’S END  

Mary Kendall  & Bill Waters 

 

 

stillness –                                            MK

violet fades

to black

 

the scratch of a match                     BW

as I strike it

 

a flicker                                              MK

of memory starts

then stops

 

turn of the tide . . .                          BW

how hard it is

to let go

 

a limb of driftwood                        MK

pulled back to sea

 

fair nights or foul                           BW

the lighthouse beam

shining

It is always a real honor to be invited to write responsively with a poet I admire. In this case, poet Bill Waters asked if I’d like to write a rengay with him. I love Bill’s poetry and his originality. I had read many rengay, but I’d never written one. Of course trying out a new form is always both fun and a challenge, so without hesitation I agreed. Bill had written rengay with other poets, so I depended upon him to keep me on track, and he did. The process of linking and shifting in responsive writing is the best part of the process. Having this rengay accepted for publication in Skylark, a Journal of Tanka edited by Claire Everett was another honor for both of us. Thanks, Bill, for this invitation.

Note:  For more poetry by Bill Waters, please visit his websites:

Bill Waters~~Haiku/
Haiku + Tanka, Haibun, Rengay, & More:
https://billwatershaiku.wordpress.com

Bill Waters~~ Not Haiku (blog within a blog):  https://billwatershaiku.wordpress.com/bill-waters-not-haiku/