A Choka
Punch-drunk love sours to white wine vinegar over years, as tensions spike at home... voices drip acid upon the floor tiles... brother and sister tripping over themselves in familiar apprehension... their little feet, hearts pounding the stairs to safety... "F**k!" He raises the bottle.
Choka?
The most intricate Japanese Poetry form is the Choka, or Long Poem. The early form consisted of a series of katauta joined together. This gives a choice of form structures of 5/7/5/5/7/7โฆ etc., or: 5/7/7/5/7โฆ etc.
The Choka could be any total line length and indeed many exceeded 100 lines. Looking at this, it is easy to see why Poetic Historians believe the katauta is the original basic unit of Japanese poetry using either the 17 or 19 unit onji.
d’Verse Quadrille #160
The above choka is my take on dโVerseโs Quadrille challenge.
The Quadrille is simply a poem of 44 words (excluding the title), and it can take any form. This weekโs challenge was to use the word โpunchโ in a Quadrille.
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 
I like this. Iโm fascinated by this Choka form. Itโs new to me.
๐๐๐ป Lesley ๐๐ป๐
๐
๐ โค Selma โค ๐
It saddens my heart to know that many children experience this.
๐ข๐๐ป Ali ๐๐ป๐ข ~ mine too
David,
A gut punch of a post! Your title nails it.
Susan ๐
๐๐๐ป Susan ๐๐ป๐
Sad story. Lots of tension here. All too familiar.
๐ข๐๐ป Mary ๐๐ป๐ข
Oh, I can feel the tension in this. Well done.
๐๐๐ป De ๐๐ป๐ ~ thanks for the prompt ๐๐ป
Well done!
๐๐๐ป Reena ๐๐ป๐
A sad reality for many that you have articulated so well, David!
โน๏ธ๐๐ป Punam ๐๐ปโน๏ธ
A heart-breaking choka, David, and sadly familiar. I love the acidic tone.
๐๐๐ป Kim ๐๐ป๐
Horror and Hellhouses
A heartbreaking story
๐๐๐ป Abi ๐๐ป๐
You are the boss my friend.
For writing in the worst of times.
๐๐ผ