A Cadralor
In the form of 5 Kimos
sweat beading up on my forehead; glasses
slipping; cotton undershirt
drenched through, sticking tightly
flat feet shifting just slightly, shin muscles
shooting sharply, absorbing
jarring jolts, careening
heavy laptop and accompanying
charger, mouse, keyboard in my
backpack, bumping others
air conditioning is requested by
an old lady; she's unheard
over the rough jostling
pushing, I reach through slick, sardined bodies
to hit 'stop', as the bus swerves,
lurching towards my street
Cadralor
The cadralor is a poem of 5, unrelated, numbered stanzaic images, each of which can stand alone as a poem, is fewer than 10 lines, and ideally constrains all stanzas to the same number of lines. Imagery is crucial to cadralor: each stanza should be a whole, imagist poem, almost like a scene from a film, or a photograph. The fifth stanza acts as the crucible, alchemically pulling the unrelated stanzas together…
Kimo
The kimo shares much in common with the haiku: it appears in three lines, making it a tristich, with each line following a diminishing pattern:
- Ten syllables
- Seven syllables
- Six syllables
Each of these lines are unrhymed.
The kimo often deals with a static image, a single moment in which there is no movement. Along with its brief nature, this makes it an excellent form to reflect on or celebrate a particular instance.
d’Verse poetics prompt:
‘Concrete or Abstract?’
Today at d’Verse, poets were prompted to write a poem using only concrete nouns, subject matter and imagery. For the purposes of this exercise, the following words are banned: soul, love, lust, dreams, sorrow, suffering, heartache, wonder, etc.
Poet are to avoid writing directly of the emotions that concrete objects invoke. It should be left to readers to experience the emotions, without the poet referring to them directly.
Let’s write poetry together!
When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.
–Ben Harper (b. 1969)
Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!
The Skeptic's Kaddish ๐ฎ๐ฑ 
A double form and you’re using ‘careen’ again – blimey O’Riley!
yeah – I thought about that, actually, but I thought it would be too weird to submit the same poem for two separate prompts ๐
โค
David
although, now that I think about it, I couldn’t submit this poem as a quadrille anyway ๐
Good Point ๐. And it gave us all another poem to read – so that’s good too!
the times need to use the bus home it does seem like this in the summer months. really enjoyed reading this
sometimes it’s totally fine… but other times… UGH!
Thanks, Rog.
โค
David
You definitely created the scene of a stressful bus ride without directly telling us. I would rather walk! Nice job with the prompt, David.
๐ Michele ๐ – thank you!
Sounds like a hot bus ride home. Can’t get more concrete than that. I love the way you added the human touch and need into your poem.
Dwight
๐ Dwight ๐ – thanks!
You are welcome!
Really enjoyed this David! Wonderful imagery! ๐๐ผ
๐ค Rob ๐ค – thanks!
Very skillfully done! I really enjoyed this.
๐ Charlotte ๐ – thanks so much!
All best,
David
Wow. Visual – check, concrete – check, last stanza pulling it all together – double check! We all yearn to arrive home!!
๐ Muri ๐
Thank you, David, for the clear and detailed explanations of Kimo, cadralor, and concrete poem. This is a form that appeals to me.
That is one bus I would not like to be on! Your poem pairs perfectly with the photo!. I can almost smell the sweat and hear the overloaded bus squealing and groaning under its heavy load! โค
๐ Cheryl ๐ – yeah… it’s not fun, to say the least!
So now i have learned about the kimo. Bravo and thank you for sharing
Happy Tuesday
Much๐love
๐ Thanks, Gillena ๐
I appreciate your knowledge of poetry and the various kinds. I, myself, just write what flows from my heart. I would be enhanced by learning the things that you know!
Thank you brother!
Ron
๐ Ron ๐ – thank you. Truth be told, I don’t have much “knowledge” – just access to the Internet!
๐
David
๐๐
You captured the commotion and my full attention at your reveal. This journey echoes so many others even more painful. Well done, David.
๐ KH ๐
You have really good rhythm in your poems. I love it!
๐ค Andreas ๐ค – thanks so much!
All best,
David