RENGAY: 2nd Place, San Francisco International Rengay Contest 2024

Interstate
        Richard L. Matta, San Diego, California
          Billie Dee, San Miguel, New Mexico
 
18-wheelers
shedding 10-ply skin
runaway truck ramp                  Richard
 
big chest, tiny waist
the chrome mudflap chick        Billie
 
        watering hole
        a singing trout
        behind the bar                     Richard
 
        biker funeral
        his brother-in-law’s
        borrowed suit                       Billie
 
hot Harley pipe. . .
the squid’s new ink                    Richard
 
tattoo removal
her last two husbands
finally gone                                  Billie
 
​
Second Place
Judges: Yvette Nicole Kolodjj, Sean Kolodji--comments
Grit and grime permeate this poem about living and dying in the fast lane, driving us into a memorable and vivid portrait that evokes Route 66 Americana. The fish-out-of-water discomfort of a biker donning an ill-fitted ‘borrowed suit’ is relatable. We watch the hot-headed squid (biker jargon for a specific type of reckless biker) impulsively get a new tattoo, new scar, or worse. The poem effectively transitions from tires shedding its skin to the undulating shapely silhouette of the ‘chrome mudflap chick,’ a symbol of the unattainable standards of feminine beauty. The poem ultimately ends with a woman shedding her tattoos and her ex-husbands. The stories of those that occupy this milieu are intriguing—the tone and theme of this poem really stood out from all the other contest entrants.
 

RENGAY: Seabeck Conference 2024

Spinning the Globe

Sean Carlton, Luke Brannon, Michael Dylan Welsh,
Beki Reese Van Buren, Trixie Lynn, Billie Dee

old map . . .
searching for a country
yet to exist                           SC

North recharted
cloudless night                    LB

on the seabed
after the fire
captain's compass              MDW

spinning the globe—
my finger lands
on Tasmania                        BRV

the GPS
still recalculating                TL

dead reconning
our course leads
to the dragon's maw           BD

Trixie Lynn is a fictious name, suggested by Billie for a verse
we wrote together because we only had five participants but
need a sixth to complete the rengay pattern. 

RENGAY: Issa's Dream

Issa's Dream

        Michael Dylan Welch, Billie Dee, and Josh Wikoff

Issa’s dream
the village flooded
with poets                                   Michael

morning-glory warriors
in the nun’s courtyard              Billie

        Rorschach test
        Bashō’s bucket full
        of octopi                               Josh

        the snail tells me
        what’s on his mind            Michael

road weary
Santōka trades his raincoat
for sake                                        Billie

Shiki’s old mitt the color
of dried persimmon                  Josh


Frogpond 47.1, Winter 2024, p76.

COLLABORATIVE TANKA SEQUENCE: mnemosyne

mnemosyne
            Billie Dee and Kathryn J. Stevens 

hail ping 
on a galvanized roof
the woodshed 
perfumed with yellow pine 
and packrat nest 

windborne 
the woody essence 
of Rose of Sharon 
suddenly she’s with me 
the sister lost long ago 

the gleam 
of her beaded evening clutch 
            still, faintly 
            that old familiar scent—
            Shalimar and Lucky Strikes 

dry lips brush 
the nape of my neck 
a whiff of cocoa 
on his breath 
an old bedtime story 


MacQueen's Quinterly 24, August 2024

AWARDS: HSA Gary Gay Rengay Contest, 2023

Matinee
        Billie Dee and Richard L. Matta

circus parade
the ballerina rides
an old elephant

stale peanuts
swirl of a juggler's flames

        slack
            in the safety net
            empty trapeze

        breathing life
                           into a swan—
                                   the balloon man

sideshow barker
the rattle of pocket change

his face-paint smile
from behind her ear
an Anthony dollar


Honorable Mention (Judges: Marcyn Del Clements, Seren Fargo)

Frogpond 46.3, Autumn 2023

AWARDS: HSA Gary Gay Rengay Contest, 2023

Thirst
        Neena Singh and Billie Dee

morning mist
a dew drop slides down
the mango leaf

green papaya's bitter edge
monsoon heat

        night showers
        singing your name
        red hibiscus

        after the downpour
        chattering crows drown out
        the muezzin

sugarcane harvest
a whiff of afternoon toil

moonbow
the pregnant tabby laps
from an oxcart rut


Third Place (Judges: Marcyn Del Clements, Seren Fargo)

Comments:
Thirst has such delightful images, like a painting from Van Gogh.—MDC

Perfect title. Another ell-crafted rengay, with satisfying variation between the verses, while staying true to the theme. I don't know if the title was decided on before or after the rengay itself was written, but it is another perfect example of how important the title is. In this case, it reflects the commonality within the verses, but in an indirect, somewhat subtle fashion. No one verse actually mentioned "thirst." I also found great satisfaction in this rengay's employment of so many of the physical senses--from the "papaya's bitter edge" to "a whiff of afternoon toil." Wonderfully provocative. Polishing it off so well, it ends with the full and rich imagery of a pregnant tabby lapping from an oxcart rut. Superb.—SF

Frogpond 46.3, Autumn 2023

RENGAY: First Place, San Francisco International Rengay Contest 2023

Reflections 

        Richard L. Matta and Billie Dee

fireworks
a blue heron fishes
shooting stars 

depth of the glacial lake. . .
Perseid shower 

      distant splash 

      moonglow shimmers 

      in ripples 

     overhand cast
     spinner glint mirrors 

     the night sky 

the comet’s tail
a large-mouth bass 

this vast stretch
           of Milky Way
                   salmon eggs 

First Place, 2023 (Judge: Gary Gay)

RENGAY: Office Supplies

Office Supplies

by Tanya McDonald, Billie Dee, and Michael Dylan Welch

the paperclip
bent into a heart—
hold music                               (Tanya)

out of whiteout
winter afternoon                     (Billie)

fiftieth birthday—
my manager’s doodle
on the pink slip                      (Michael)

hole-punch confetti
stuck to the janitor’s shoes (Tanya)

printer jam
the instruction manual
in broken English                   (Billie)

retirement speech
into the shredder                  (Michael)


Hedgerow #140, Dec 2022, p16

RENGAY: 2022 HSA Rengay Awards, 2nd Place

Weavings
         Billie Dee and Neena Singh

rose-laced dawn
a young girl sweeping petals
from the courtyard

old narrow bed
our parents sleep entwined

        Ganga ghat
        the barefoot cobbler
        with crossed legs

        a rickshaw puller
        wipes his sweat
        city din

festival tuk-tuk
my driver's betel-stained teeth

Vedic chants
weaving prayers in one thread
a garland of marigolds

__________
Judge's Comments: A rich cultural context weaves itself into this rengay, adding an exotic flavor for North American readers. The first two verses might at first seem to be possible anywhere, focusing on entwinings. But from the third verse on, readers know we are in India, which makes us reconsider the location of the first two verses. We experience temples, transportation devices, and religious chants, each one further developing the theme of things woven together. The dawn is laced with color, parents wrap themselves together in bed, legs are crossed, the city's din envelops a sweating worker, teeth are stained, and prayers weave themselves into a garland of flowers. This rengay weaves us into its world. 
—Michael Dylan Welsh


Frogpond 45.3, Autumn 2022

RENGAY: Emergence

Emergence
        Billie Dee and Deborah P Kolodji 

lost glove
the woollybear curled
in its worn palm

a fuzzy cocoon
under the box spring

        after the stroke
        morning sun gleams
        from the bed rails

        voices beckon
        from adjoining rooms
        her soft pillow

physical therapist . . .
his praying-hands tattoo

silk sheets part
for that first unsteady step
tiger moth


Frogpond 45.3, Autumn 2022

SPLIT SEQUENCE HAIKU: Breathing In

Breathing In
        Naia and Billie Dee

harmonica riff

        heat wave
        such weariness 
        in the busker's eyes

the honeysuckle hedge

        new neighbors
        plums still too green
        to pick

in full bloom

        iced tea
        on the patio
        baby's first kick

Frogpond 45.3, Autumn 2022

RENGAY: 2021 HSA Garry Gay Rengay Award

Perseverance
        by Deborah P Kolodji and Billie Dee

backyard bird call
Perseverance
lands on Mars

blast of solar wind
the dank of withered reeds

... .Venusian clouds
.....a biplane circles
.....the sky above me

.....the half-moon betta
.....sipping air
.....Europa’s hidden seas

cardinals at the feeder
snowfall on Pluto

Kepler’s star
the iron in my blood
blood red

3rd Place, HSA Garry Gay Rengay Award, 2021

RENGAY: 2021 San Francisco Int'l Rengay Contest

I am pleased to announce the following two rengay have placed in the 2021 San Francisco International Rengay Contest (scroll down to read judge’s comments). Many thanks to my talented writing partners, Naia and Deborah P Kolodji, to Haiku Poets of Northern California, who sponsored the event, and with deep gratitude to the judges: Julie Schwerin and Dan Schwerin.

Omicron
           Deborah P Kolodji, USA
           Billie Dee, USA

    gray January
    the only visitor    
    hummingbirds

    the softest pink    
    first mourning dove song

            crow caw
            no more room
            in the morgue

            why
            am I telling you this
            screech owls all night

    mask mandate
    a peacock's reflection

    the last nestling
    left to feed
            cuckoo chick

                           Second Place, 2021 HPNA Rengay Contest

 Lineage
           Naia, USA
           Billie Dee, USA

     prairie stillness
     awaiting the foal's
     first breath

     drinking from the same trough
    old gelding and I

            curry comb
            the roan stallion pins back
            his ears

            horsefly weather
            my bowlegged grandfather
            brushes his Stetson

    cowpoke on all fours
    the toddler squeals giddyup!

    the farrier's wagon
                lists to one side
    lazy afternoon

                           Honorable Mention, 2021 HPNA Rengay Contest

 

AWARDS: HSA Gary Gay Rengay Contest, 2021

Perseverance
        —Deborah P Kolodge and Billie Dee

backyard bird call
Perseverance
lands on Mars

blast of solar wind
the dank of withered reeds

        Venusian clouds
        a biplane circles
        the sky above me

        the half-moon betta
               sipping air
        Europa's hidden seas

cardinals at the feeder
snowfall on Pluto

Kepler's star
the iron in my blood
blood red


Third Place (Judges: John Thompson and Jacquie Pearce)

Comments: This audacious dual-theme rengay stretches our imaginations across the universe, yet at the same time keeps us firmly grounded on our home planet—a brilliant mix of science and poetics full of intriguing leaps and links. The verses combine an objective scientific tone with underlying emotional tensions associated with the contemplation of the diverse possibilities of life. There is also a sense of playfulness with the surprising comparisons and images. "Venusian clouds" are juxtaposed with a circling biplane, an already antiquated technology that represents one of the first steps in our reach for the stars. A fish with a stellar-sounding name (a "half-moon betta") leaves its water environment to momentarily "sip air," perhaps suggesting that we are like fish out of water in our journey into space, or that there may be mysteries to uncover in the hidden seas of Jupiter's moon. At the same time, it subtly reminds us (whether intentionally or not) of our own evolutionary history of arising from the sea, evoking a sense that we are just at the beginning of our journey. The rengay concludes with "Kepler's star," a supernova that would have produced heat and chaos so intense it may have created new elements such as iron, which a basic part of our bodies and of our environment (used in the creation of tools of war and other technology). The reference to "iron" and "blood" (with its red color and associations with blood-loss) return us to Mars, the planet of the first verse, and the god of war. Chaos can either be an end or a beginning. Perhaps, as we reach for the stars, we need to recognize that the stuff of stars is already here around us and inside us.

Frogpond 44.3, Autumn 2021

        

        

RENGAY: Salad Days (6-person)

 Salad Days

by Michael Dylan Welch, Billie Dee, Naia,
          Oleg Kagan, Ash Baldon, and Deborah P Kolodji

 

fancy restaurant—
the house salad served
on a single lettuce leaf                         Michael

 

hearts of romaine
baby’s first kick                             Billie

 

panzanella for two
the waiter’s serenade
slightly off-key                                   Naia

 

fruit salad finished
I drink its juice                              Oleg

 

Balsamic, no oil
tart and sweet
the way I like it                                   Ash

 

he picks through spinach
for the candied walnuts                       Deborah

 

 

written in Pasadena, CA, 2/21/2010
Prune Juice #24, Spring 2018. p 104.