30 Poems in 30 Days with 30 Forms
The Imayo
The Japanese poetic form, Imayo, has four lines, each with 12 syllables. While that may sound intimidating, the syllables are broken up mid-line with a caesura – a pause- between the first 7 syllables and the final 5. The 5/7 syllable splits are the familiar patterns found in other Japanese forms like haiku, tanka, and senryu.
I took the liberty of placing the caesura after the 5th syllables in the first two lines of my poem (I liked how it sounded).
Patricia Franz writes picture books and poetry. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 