Day 198:

Jan 14- Makar Sankranti, another Hindu holiday, it commemorates the beginning of the harvest season and cessation of the northeast monsoon in South India. this day marks the beginning of warmer and longer days compared to the nights. In other words, Sankranti marks the termination of winter season and beginning of a new harvest or spring season. As such the sun god is worshipped. A Vakh poem for the occasion: distich(2 couplets), 4 lines, 7 syllables, with 4 stresses per line. True or near rhyme.

Makar Sankrati! Hey! Cheer!

No more monsoons now to fear

Winter’s gone, the Spring brings sun

Begin the harvest and the fun!

Day 197:

Jan 13-Lohri, a bonfire festival from India. Using the Abhanga form from the area, the celebratory poem is ready! Title: Lohri

A bonfire celebration

Celebrating Lohri

It is something to see!

Light up the fires!

For Hindus everywhere

Winter celebration

A time for tons of fun

A festive time!

Day 196:

Jan 12-Prevent Genocide Day, here is a poem honoring this day. Title: Hear the call

Hear the call

Victims all

Death or life?

Always strife

Genocide?

On whose side?

Victims cry

Hear their sigh

Racism?

Hatism!

Victims all

Here the call.

Day 195:

Jan 11-Modified Aknot, or centered Aknot, as D.S. Teller calls it, is similar to the modified Tonka, where the reversed Tonka syllable count is then further modified by centering the five syllabled lines in the middle, and the seven syllable lines are placed on the outside.

Seven, five, five, five, seven

Modified aknot
Try this out for size
A centered aknot
See if you can do better.

Day 194:

Jan 10-Modified Tonka or Centered Tonka, as D.S. Teller refers to this type of Tonka. The 7 syllable lines are centered and the outer lines are the five syllabled lines. 5,7,7,7,5.

Try this out for size

Five,seven, seven, seven,
Finish with five syllables
A Tonka that is centered
Modified Tonka.

Day 193:

Jan 9-Notka, or True Aknot, depending on whose interpretation. The syllables of a Tonka are reversed, So, instead of 5,7,5,7,7 we have 7 5 7 5 5.

Seven, five, seven, five, five

Is it an Aknot?
The syllables are reversed
Quite a strange poem
Try it for yourself.

Day 192:

Jan 8-Aknot, according to D.S. Teller, is a modified Reverse Tonka, or a true Aknot, different from what some call an Aknot. The syllable count of a Tonka is reversed, similar to a reverse Haiku called an Ukiah.and the bottom couplet is moved to the top

Is this an Aknot?

Reversed syllables

Five, five, seven, five, seven

Try it out to see

If this will work out for you.