Water

the words of water
having no punctuation
flow around pebbles
and rocks wearing down to silt
words roll from ripples
pop from bubbles and sparkle
in foam and crystals
forming sub-zero dirges

words melt into spring
filling ditches and gutters
gurgling and splashing
with the plump plopping of dew
and rain dripping and dropping

Kim M. Russell, 17th August 2019

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My response to Carpe Diem Weekend Meditation #98 Choka … the long Japanese poem

This weekend our challenge is to create a Japanese long poem, or choka, which can be of almost any length, because its form depends on alternating phrases (or lines) containing either seven or five sound units (onji). The end of the poem is signalled by two lines of seven sounds. So the form is five/seven, five/seven, five seven, ending with seven/seven. The choka is related to  the tanka through the envoi or hanka – a tanka-like poem attached at the end of the choka. It was the most popular form of poetry in the 9th century.

I’ve taken a poem I wrote this weekend and reworked it into a choka.

13 thoughts on “Water”

  1. oh cool – this has so much movement in it — and sound … it really travels on the tongue and in the mind – so much so, it’s almost “too” busy – LOL … but not …. if anything, I have to keep diving back into it – re-reading, stopping the words, to appreciate the way it all flows and unfolds, and where it skirts around things, like pebbles …. and comes to land …

    this is really effervescent Kim – I really like this! well done and admittedly, great fun, because now I want to chase down a stream and play with it … 😀

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    Reply

      1. well, unless we get the predicted rains, which are holding out and off, it’s D-R-Y – nothing is trickling or tickling or anything …. but we can always dream 😉

        Liked by 1 person

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