A sijo
one quarter of a century has passed since my escape freedom's inevitability served to make time's passage worse my monstrous misery grew exponentially... consuming me
‘Ronovan Writes’ poetry challenge
Sijo Wednesday #9
Ronovan encourages poets to use the word ‘high school’ as their inspiration, as either a theme of their sijos or in their poem themselves.
Sijo?
A Korean verse form related to haiku and tanka and comprised of three lines of 14-16 syllables each, for a total of 44-46 syllables. Each line contains a pause near the middle, similar to a caesura, though the break need not be metrical. The first half of the line contains six to nine syllables; the second half should contain no fewer than five. Originally intended as songs, sijo can treat romantic, metaphysical, or spiritual themes. Whatever the subject, the first line introduces an idea or story, the second supplies a “turn,” and the third provides closure. Modern sijo are sometimes printed in six lines.
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 🇮🇱 
Such a wonderful response to the prompt. Your poems are stunning and riveting. I love ’em. ❤❤
💛 ❤️ Lamittan ❤️ 💛
It isn’t easy, even as I observe and consider all the pauses in this poignant Sijo,
Very difficult, primary, secondary, college and the witchhunt at the end of it all…
There were, and there are still glorious moments that I should gather
Jump up high
With full appreaciation and thank you.
💛 Abi 💛
🙂, yes🙂
High School is a minefield! The number of mistakes it is possible to make seems limitless! A very relatable poem, David! 🙂
💞 Cheryl 💞
You went to the same school as me.. lol 😂 love your poem lovely! 💖
💚🥰 Cindy 🥰💚
I love your monstrous misery , as i visit every day. Nowadays I’m on vacation of one month. I escaped too, David ❤️
💝 Jane 💝 ~ enjoy your escape!
Enjoying it to the fullest, David ❤️
And I thought college would be better than high school. Well, at least I never had any illusions about work. (K)
💗 Kerfe 💗 ~ for me, socially, college was definitely better.
I admit I was steered in the wrong direction and made bad choices. It might have worked out better. Although maybe it’s just me. My younger daughter never warmed up to school, really, and neither did I.
Yep. HS was an awkward stage and I was a very awkward girl – and smart enough to realize just how nerdish and out of step with my peers I really was. That just fed the weird. Then I found my tribe and life was excellent!!
🤎😌 Muri 😌🤎
I don’t think I can relate to this, but your feeling is expressed very well, David.
❤ Dolly ❤ ~ yeah this poem doesn't pull punches…
Boy, do I feel this one! Junior high and high school–six years I’d rather forget. D
❤ Mike ❤ ~ I imagine this is true for a lot of us!