A sijo
an orca, sea serpent, or kraken; no... actually... a shark; seems it swallowed up my parents and chased me through the dark; I forgot the dream that morning but the panic remains stark
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 โturn,โ and the third provides closure. Modern sijo are sometimes printed in six lines.
W3 poetry prompt
This sijo was written for Sarah David’s W3 poetry prompt this week, which is to write a poem of 14 lines or less on the theme of ‘dreams’.
d’Verse poetics prompt: Visionary poetry
This sijo was written for this week’s d’Verse poetics prompt, which is to write a poem in any form you choose inspired by a vision, dream, or both.
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 
[…] collected for years Saved buildings from future's onslaught. ยฉMarsha Ingrao, 2023 My attempt at a Sijo for this week's W3 […]
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Chilling dream, David! Glad it was only that!
โค๏ธ๐๐ป Marsha ๐๐ปโค๏ธ
Ooh, nice sijo! I had a similar dream as a child (nightmare maybe); those do seem to stick with us!
๐๐๐ป Sarah ๐๐ป๐ ~ it’s crazy that I still remember at age 43
Goodness! Such dreams do tend to linger quite a bit! Powerfully penned ๐๐
๐๐๐ป Sanaa ๐๐ป๐ ~ this one has lingered for more than 3 decades!
~David
Wonderful.
๐ค๐๐ป Molly ๐๐ป๐ค
in my first dream
has my mother
in a school building
deep in the cellar
strangled my brother
after seventy years
both come to me
in dreams with
with a curse
towards me
๐ฑ
The terror of those type of dreams lingers long in the memory!
What a crazy coincidence that both prompts this week were about dreams ๐ it worked out well though, as many people responded to both prompts with one poem!
Exactly ๐
Since I knew what the W3 prompt was in advance, before it went live on Wednesday, I decided to delay my own responding to your d’Verse prompt because I figured I’d simply do a twofer ๐
Thanks so much, Ingrid โค
~David
At least it went live on Wednesday so you knew I didnโt copy ๐คฃ
and I know that Sarah didn’t copy you either because I knew what her W3 prompt would be back on Monday ๐
A happy coincidence ๐
I love the rhyme โฆin a Sijo:)
Funny thing ~ it was not on purpose at first! It just happened ๐ณ
It just happened… gorgeously
Seems like the return of โJawsโ, Steven Spielberg might want to do a retake.
๐๐๐ป Michaรซl ๐๐ป๐ ~ haha! Maybe a movie that’s half like Inception and half like Jaws!
Excellent description of a nightmare!! The Sijo is a hard form (at least for me) and you make it look easy!
๐๐๐ป Muri ๐๐ป๐ ~ it’s hard for me to believe that any form is hard for you!