Day 191:

Jan 7-Reverse Tonka, or Konta. Poets frequently modify or transform current forms to fit their poetic style. The following is a Tonka in reverse, where the pair of 7 syllable lines are moved to the top. D.S. Teller refers this as a Konta, while others call it an Aknot.

A poem to consider

Start with seven, seven

Reverse the tonka

Five, seven, five syllables end

Is it an aknot?

Day 190:

Jan 6-Epiphany, a Catholic holiday celebrating when the wise men met the Baby Jesus . title: Epiphany

A moment of clarity

A time of discovery

And cheerful holiday

Have you seen Jesus?

Day 189:

Jan 5-Another Native  American poem-Indian War poem,

Warrior

Fleet in forest

Steady on stones

Eyes on everything

Hearing the heart of life

Senses centered

Fighting for life

Day 188:

Jan 4-Tewa Turtle Dance Day- A Native American holiday celebrating Creation. Here’s a poem for that holiday . Title: Creation

Sky Father

Earth Mother
Creation
Turtle Dance
Celebrate
Conception
Life brought forward
Stars are born
Native joys
Native’s here
Dance and cheer
Holiday!

Day 187:

Jan 3-Cynghanedd Groes, [cross across harmony] all consonants surround main stressed vowel before caesura repeated after it in same order. However, final consonants of final words of each half of line must be different, as must main stressed vowel of each half. No consonants in second half of line which is not part of consonant. Echo vowels other than stressed may be any kind.  The following has hpshwlf in both lines, and o is the main vowel. Title: Hope

I hope to show a loaf

You hop too, o she wolf. 

Day 186:

Jan 2-Qasida, the Arabic qasida is a non-strophic, tripartite poem employing 50 to 120 hemstitch lines, monorhyme and quantitative meter with a tripartite sequence of thematic modules. Adjectives are used in place of nouns: strutting in place of ostrich. They used telescoping metaphors that were so much fun to work with: Like the Greek ode, the qasida is divided into three parts. However, the interrelated strophe, antistrophe and epode of the Greek ode do not correspond to the three independent thematic sections of the qasida: the nasib, rahil and fakrh. The classical qasida’s structure is similar to the Jungian “Hero’s Quest”:

1.     The nasib is a moment of separation and typically depicts a symbolic recognition of the “other”, which prompts the persona into a state of agitation.

2.     The rahil is a moment of margin and depicts a liminal state
characterized by anti-social behavior.

3.     Finally, the fakrh is a moment of aggregation and depicts a scene of
integration with the community.

The qasida’s narrative is a rite of passage, a transformative experience shared by the persona, performer and audience.  This is a difficult form. Take a shot at it and see.

Non-strophic

Polyphonic

Qasida

Metaphors outstretched

Adjectives are fetched

Rhyming

Work out the timing

Sequence

Length of term no consequence

Just three sections

Let the Nasib begin

Maxim morality

Nostalgia thick or thin

Elasticity

If read or heard

Thus inferred

Prepare for the third

Wore of the word.

Begin again

Rahil  another

It’s brother

Take a spin or cease

Release

For peace

Disengaging

Or enraging

Transition to

Make it through

Running, walking

Satire joking

Toward three

So wonderfully

Acting forcefully

Maximally

Working toward

Going forward

Arabic involvement

Ends this installment.

Messaging incurred

Petition procured

Integrating morals

For poor mortals

Passage of rite

To community

All to see

Humor in thee

Tremendously

Fit for rhyming

Show the timing

Nouns few, adjectives yes

Difficult I must confess

Relate

Nearing one’s fate

A Qasida writ

See if also fit

This Arabic form done

Now for some fun!

Day 185:

Jan 1-New Year’s Day, a poem for a brand new year. Title New Year’s Day

A new day has come

For all and not for just some

Resolve to be good

And try to do what we should

We reached a new year

For some joy, for some a tear

If you had your way

What will happen New Year’s Day?