To commemorate the spirit and work of the late John Carley, who did so much to enhance the westerner’s perception of traditional linked verse, the following kasen (36-stanza) was compiled under the aegis of Eiko Yachimoto in Yokosuka, Kanagawa. Many of the contributing poets are Hailstone friends, so it seems appropriate to reproduce this here, on its own page. Folios are marked in Roman numerals and verse nos. in Arabic ones. This kasen was first published on the website of Basho Kaigi, Tokyo. Eiko chose one of John’s own verses as the hokku (I.1). R.I.P.
.
Peace with the Moon
sitting by the fire
I make peace with the moon
softly, softly, night John Carley I.1
pen to parchment
behind frosted windows Carole MacRury I.2
the lads strip off
and jump into a pool
of hot spring water Paul Conneally I.3
a shell far inland
holds the song of the sea Sheila Windsor I.4
a subtle crescendo,
the waves of new green
show the path of winds Eiko Yachimoto I.5
at the fête, the mayor’s wife
wins all the prizes Norman Darlington I.6
*** *** ***
at sunrise
an airplane on the runway
about to take off Sosui Yuasa II.1
fifty miles from noon
in a dark volcanic cloud Chris Drake II.2
dad’s sooted soul
and no proper time to say
all our good-byes Sprite (Claire Chatelet) II.3
smiling eyes of my next door
neighbour’s teacup puppy Carmen Sterba II.4
in flagrante
the teacher’s wistful gaze
gently chided William Sorlien II.5
bright stars and moonbeams
caught in your hair Paul II.6
the tangled dreams
of an old goose unable
to rejoin the flock Carole II.7
with a bottle in his hand
Kikaku reels in autumn chill Sosui II.8
high above the craggy
valley floor, a floating bridge
takes form Norman II.9
the tollkeeper says
you can pay me tomorrow Paul II.10
penny, petal, pearl or pain
who’s picking a daisy
in the blossom rain Eiko II.11
a black butterfly lands
again in her basket Chris II.12
*** *** ***
while we slept
prayer flags whispered,
breath of passing spring Sheila III.1
the Sylheti alphabet
deep in the mirror Sprite III.2
evening lull
wild irises punctuate
the rice paddies Carmen III.3
baby girl’s giggle
for her first firefly William III.4
a bobbin-winder
for my pa
I’ll be afore I’m ten! Norman III.5
the twists and turns
of the Cresta Run Paul III.6
picking up bits and
pieces, seeing crowds in
unheard-of relationships Chris III.7
matchmaker, matchmaker
what have you wrought? Carole III.8
old wife’s warm grin
pushes an old grocer to
his horse race holiday Eiko III.9
an orchard of ripe apples
fragrant with dew Sheila III.10
pulled by the moon
a low hum rises from
white brushed fields Sprite III.11
before the loud cry of
battle, a withered mountain William III.12
*** *** ***
three veterans
huddle as they fish
in a cove Carmen IV.1
Moby Dick, where are you
when we need you? Chris IV.2
a cube of cheese
and a pickled onion
on a cocktail stick Paul IV.3
heat shimmer, from each side
we call and wave Sheila IV.4
Yoshino Blossoms
surely, our friend will return
to sit down with us Sosui IV.5
from a makeshift hut, woodsmoke
mingling with the haze Norman IV.6
Icebox 
First time I’ve read it …
… and it still makes no sense.
This reader’s comment is, of course, totally valid. If you prefer things that make more sense (I do myself), prob. best to steer away from such trad. renku, which has a template of seasonal change to adhere to. Think of it as one picture morphing into another while waltzing in and out of the seasons. You might enjoy more our own Circle’s preferred form of linked verse, the ginko-no-renga (based on a shared stroll, so remaining in the same season and largely composed from actuality); a group poem of one particular day? Here is an example: https://hailhaiku.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/ohara-ginko-no-renga/