An American sentence:
An old man lies on a bench, hand stretched out, cupping a pile of loose change.
What’s an ‘American Sentence’?
Allen Ginsberg, inventor of the American Sentence, felt that the haiku didnโt work as well in English. Ginsberg decided to remove the line structure of the haiku, maintaining the requirement of 17 syllables total. He felt that removing the line count freed the American Sentence up for the idiosyncrasies of English phonemes.
The requirements:
- Composed in one line;
- Syllabic, 17 syllables;
- Condensed, written with no unnecessary words or articles;
- Complete sentence or sentences;
- Includes a turn or enlightenment.
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 
The image of despondency and despair.
๐ Dolly ๐ ~ indeed… this is a scene from my walk to the bus stop after work in downtown Jerusalem
I think my reply to this comment went to a wrong place. I apologize.
That’s ok
sadly both are true.. loose change and nothing changes. ๐ฅฒ
๐๐ป๐ค Cindy ๐ค๐๐ป
๐๐
I am warming to this form. I like this one. There is much that can be extrapolated. I have been playing.
๐๐๐ป Sean ๐๐ป๐
David, imho, the observer’s perspective of the man on the bench, makes your American sentence haiku..
An old hand
in pants-pocket coin
dreams of change ๐
well, technically a senryu, then, if you want to go there ๐
where? ๐
to the Church of Eastern Poetic Forms
No, thanks, David, I don’t want to go there. Shouldn’t be so hard to say that I believe the observer’s perspective is up there with Ginsberg’s American haiku. ๐
That grey-haired man in business suit and black turtleneck thinks he’s still young.
– Allen Ginsberg – December 19, 1992
๐ค
I find writing about myself traps me in a hall of mirrors, and that the observerโs perspective gets me out of the trap. Nothing to do with the Church of Eastern Poetic Forms. ๐
This brought tears to my eyes.
๐๐๐ป Tina ๐๐ป๐
Tragic life circumstances. Makes one grateful for what one has.
๐ Terveen ๐ ~ exactly. A roof, clothing, food…
sadly, it does not (K)
๐ฆ Kerfe ๐ฆ
I like this, I like your rendition too. Iโve never heard of the American sentence but it certainly works
โค Kate โค ~ thanks! I've really grown to love the simplicity of the American Sentence… I usually write at least one every week.
~David
Oh fury, it’s not the picture response I was anxiously expecting, quite sweetly..
Though, appropriately suiting the perfect american sentence flowing from your heart.
Bravo ๐
This was a real scene that I saw on my way home from work recently…
Yeah, scenes I see almost everyday.
So sad, things have change
Here it feels its gotten worse ๐