Senryu

Disciplinal Poetry of the Issue

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Senryu - by Maria C Faverio

Lachesis - Next Issues Disciplinal Poetry - by Kay Lindgren

Bitter Brew - David Ellis
Inuit Angel - Michael Zerger
Dire - Mark Norman
True - Mark Norman
Lifeless Inukshuk - Michael Zerger
Schefflera Leaves - Kay Lindgren
On Exercise Mat: - Kay Lindgren
Opiate Infatuate – Mark Norman
Fat Black Housefly - Kay Lindgren
Water Falling - Kay Lindgren
Senryu-Niño Feliz - Jorge González López
Bold Daddy - Kathleen Cesaro
Dilutions of Grandeur - Jon Marin
Beyond beyond - Kathleen Cesaro
Spring Fling - Kathleen Cesaro
More than 64! - Kay Lindgren
A Christmas Card Found at Easter - Jon Marin
Innocence - Kathleen Cesaro
Doc, how many days - Kathleen Cesaro
Yoga in the Park - Kathleen Cesaro
KT, LeG: - Thomas (Torg) Hadley
On Branch Glazed - Kay Lindgren
Lark Singing in Sol - Kay Lindgren
Commuters - Maria C. Faverio
Notorious - Maria C. Faverio
Hours - Maria C. Faverio
Pointed - Maria C. Faverio
Resting - Maria C. Faverio
Leafless - Maria C. Faverio
Trapped - Maria C. Faverio
Hopping - Maria C. Faverio
Frolicking - Maria C. Faverio
Sitting - Maria C. Faverio
Carousel - Maria C. Faverio
Peaceless - Maria C. Faverio
Motionless - Maria C. Faverio
Snowman - Maria C. Faverio
Dying - Kay Lindgren
Forest - Hernan R. Chang M.D.

Senryu - by Maria C Faverio

The Senryu Senryu is a form of Japanese poetry named after Karai Hachiemon (1718-1790), a man who wrote under the pen name Senryu (“River Willow”) and also acted as a judge at contests of maekuzuku (“verse capping”). However, he himself wrote no senryu.

“Verse capping” was an old form of literary entertainment in which a given short verse of 14 syllables was “capped” by a longer verse of 17 syllables to produce a 31-syllable poem in the traditional tanka form.

In 1765 Karai Senryu published a selection of tsukeku (the capping portions of these poems), which became very popular and was followed by many more volumes compiled by Senryu himself as well as his followers. These tsukeku eventually came to be known as senryu.

Contrary to the haiku, they did not require an introductory season word. They were at first written in 17 (5-7-5) or 14 (7-7) syllables. However, as time went by, these rules became less strictly observed.

Senryu usually convey less conventional images than haiku, and are often humorous or atiric and about human foibles. They express everyday truths and happenings in succinct verse.

As a matter of fact, many writers who think they are writing haiku, are actually composing senryu.

Senryu are the proof that poetry can be found in anything.

A few examples

The tip of the branch
believes in the hidden
life of the root.

Ne ni hisomu
inochi shinjita
eda no saki.

Shoichi

The stone saint
is kissed on the mouth
by a slug.

Namekuji ni
kuchi o suwareta
ishi Jizo.

The circus goes away,
leaving behind holes
in the ground.

Chi ni ana o
nokoshite kyokubadan wa
tachi.

A mayfly –
born to have just a glimpse
of the world.

Kagero wa
chotto sekai o
mi ni umare.

The eminent
priest isn’t far
from being a fool.

Meiso no
baka o suru koto
tokarazu.

Genkaibo

Human cruelty –
swatting flies as
they make love.

Hae no koi
hito wa mujo
no hae tataki.

Every single bug that can,
is singing –
a beautiful moonlit night.

Nakeru mushi
minna naiteru
ii tsukijo.

Kenjo

Reference:
Senryu – Poems of the People
1991 Charles E. Tuttle Company
Rutland, Vermont & Tokyo, Japan

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Bitter Brew - David Ellis

of medicine has exorcized
the malignant grey mass,
an unborn evil twin.

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Senryu - Inuit Angel - Michael Zerger

Lifeless Inukshuk
no ears no eyes and no hands
signpost for life.

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Dire - Mark Norman

Dire urge for melded love
found, we become one
to struggle to free our souls

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True - Mark Norman

True love, a life line
mutually held
Tin can and a string strung taut

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Deep - Mark Norman

Deep thought, brings souls periphery
fear of the next step
tempts insanity or flush

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Lifeless Inukshuk - Michael Zerger

Lifeless Inukshuk
no ears no eyes and no hands
signpost for life.

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Schefflera Leaves - Kay Lindgren

Schefflera leaves
babble at the breeze -
green tongues gossip.

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On Exercise Mat: - Kay Lindgren

On exercise mat:
tiny lizard
doing pushups.

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Opiate Infatuate – Mark Norman

Opiate infatuate
drowning each other
gasping souls dead blue in love

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Senryu-Niño Feliz - Jorge González López

La lluvia moja
la húmeda esfera áurea
de un niño feliz.


Senryu-Happy child (translation) - Jorge González López

The mellow rain soaks
the wet and golden sphere
of a happy child.

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Bold Daddy - Kathleen Cesaro

Bold Daddy Longlegs
tiptoes through arm hair forest
tickle me timbers!

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Dilutions of Grandeur - Jon Marin

He's a dash of salt
Who, pinched into the ocean,
Thought "I'm POSEIDON".

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Beyond beyond - Kathleen Cesaro

Faster yet than speed,
appearing as motionless,
answer precedes probe.

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Spring Fling - Kathleen Cesaro

Dominos begin
falling for one another;
maybe dots like life.

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More than 64! - Kay Lindgren

More than 64!
Chessboard lies in mirror box,
builds up its image.

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A Christmas Card Found at Easter - Jon Marin

Squares of spring sunshine
Frame bunnies and painted eggs.
LOOK! A Christmas card!

In winter twilight
A rural church's windows
Warm the holiday.

Thick snow-covered pines
Reflect bright stained-glass colors
To tinted snowbanks.

Enthusiastic
Singing of childhood carols
Deepens the colors.

Lit scene-filled windows
Connect the congregation
To the scene outside.

White boughs resonate
With the choir's harmonies.
Shhh! I'm listening.

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Innocence - Kathleen Cesaro

short measure of string
thin stick of paraffin wax
candlelight wedding

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Doc, how many days - Kathleen Cesaro

"Doc, how many days
do I have left to enjoy?"
"All of them," he said.

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Yoga in the Park - Kathleen Cesaro

Yoga in the park,
body parts this way and that,
keeps her head on straight.

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KT, LeG: - Thomas (Torg) Hadley

joyous smiles
resurrected daily
angel's flight
taken mundanely

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On Branch Glazed - Kay Lindgren

On branch glazed with ice,
making calls, all unanswered:
a persistent crow.

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Lark Singing in Sol - Kay Lindgren

Lark singing in Sol
heckled by critical crow
caw - cacophony.

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Commuters - Maria C. Faverio

Commuters at
the railway station –
a necklace of black pearls.

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Notorious- Maria C. Faverio

I ask the notorious
void for enlightment – it nods
its huge head and smiles.

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Hours - Maria C. Faverio

Hours rush in and out,
the river flows on – my only
companion, a moth.

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Pointed - Maria C. Faverio

I pointed my finger
at God – swiftly, He disappeared
behind the full moon.

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Ants - Maria C. Faverio

Two ants making love
on the top of an anthill –
mini earthquake.

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Resting- Maria C. Faverio

Resting in my shadow –
a tired fly trying to escape
a flycatcher.

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Leafless- Maria C. Faverio

On a leafless bough
piercing the cloudless sky –
a featherless crow.

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Trapped - Maria C. Faverio

Trapped in the mosquito
net – a one-winged butterfly
with green antennae.

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Hopping - Maria C. Faverio

Hopping into
the middle of nowhere –
a lonely kangaroo.

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Frolicking - Maria C. Faverio

Frolicking under
the moonlit summer sky –
insomniac frogs.

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Sitting - Maria C. Faverio

Sitting in the one-
wheeled cart drinking in the light –
a horde of mad horses.

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Carousel - Maria C. Faverio

Carousel of joy
loaded on shamelessly naked
trees – for madmen only.

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Simplicities - Maria C. Faverio

Great simplicities
revelling in pools of sunshine,
molten ice-cream.

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Peaceless - Maria C. Faverio

Peaceless in my phantom
dwelling, I stride to and
fro - broken wings.

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Excited - Maria C. Faverio

Excited birds
at dawn herald a new day,
humans turn in their beds.

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Motionless - Maria C. Faverio

Motionless visions,
meditation’s peace and bliss,
turtles in the sun.

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Snowman - Maria C. Faverio

Snowman with a hat,
a scarf and a cigarette,
but, ay!, without brain.

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Dying - Kay Lindgren

Dying to be loved,
I will go lie with the worms.
They will eat me up.

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Forest - Hernan R. Chang M.D.

This leafy forest
hides a natural fountain
I wish it would rain!

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Next Issues Disciplinal Poetry - Lachesis

By Kay Lindgren

The precise origin of the lachesis is unknown. It is likely to be a relatively recent invention by a poet of the New Formalist movement. It is popular among members of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (USA). Its invention has been credited to one Robert "Amigo" DeWitt, who lives in Louisiana. Amigo has published over a thousand poems and has won more than a hundred awards. A World War II veteran, Amigo taught English and coached football in the Duval County, Florida, school system before retiring during the 1980's.

The lachesis consists of eighteen iambic pentameter lines in alternating tercets and couplets. The rhyme scheme is :

AAA BB CCC DD EEE FF GGG

Since English is not rich in rhymes, the lachesis presents a profound challenge.

I share the first and second prize winners of the Lachesis Award in the National Federation of State Poetry Society's 1994 contest. These poems were published in Encore, the NFSPS anthology of prize poems.


A Memory of Wings - Gail Teachworth

My dream is yellow-green, like lemon tea,
a pleasant form of floating, fancy-free
above a field of flowers, like a bee.

I find myself content to flit around
a little over two feet off the ground.

Perspective from this point is rather strange,
it takes some time adjusting to the change.
Amused, but quite unable to arrange

my thoughts in any order making sense,
the fantasy of flight is so intense.

I'm going with the flow, as some might say,
adrift through flower-power's hideaway
where anything is possible today.

If morning finds me grounded to the Earth,
I'll know I have enjoyed, for all its worth,

the dream of wings, the hovering, this flight.
Though fragile dream-wings only last one night,
remembering continues in the light.

Metric Manifesto - Robert Shelford


We rhyming poets are a lonely bunch,
Creating verse with even metric punch,
Smug academics think we're out to lunch.

Most simple people also think we're jerks
With sad anachronistic mental quirks.

Who cares, in days of video and fax,
If sugar cane and ascertain will match
Or anapestic beats should get the axe.

Much easier to trash tradition's rules
And other writing skills once taught in schools.

Smart free-verse scribes scorn proper punctuation,
Mix random words defying conjugation,
Enjoy obscurity and obfuscation.

Despite their jibes, we strange ones try to write
Sweet metric songs to treasure and delight.

Most free verse seems forgettable, for sure.
I'd rather draft, as masters have before,
A line like "Quoth the Raven, Nevermore!"

I am fortunate to know Amigo, Gail and Robert, all three of whom generously offer me free help with my writing.


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