Welcome to my April 2025 Great and Powerful Blogging from A to Z Challenge!

I’ve revealed my theme (A poem a day…with pictures), and of course, I am unashamedly blogging my theme letters on the fly.  So, here goes nothing!

So, without further ado, Z is for …Zappai

“Zappai poems are like haiku, but not. Or maybe more appropriately, they’re like senryu, but not (or maybe they are). This poetic form definition may sound kind of wishy-washy, but zappai are poems that have a 5-7-5 syllable pattern that do not contain the seasonal reference expected of haiku. In other words, zappai are all those haiku people write that haiku poets recognize as not being haiku. Again, senryu could fit this definition as well, but senryu also can have a looseness with the syllables, much like haiku, so that 17 syllables are not mandatory. Zappai should still be poetic, but they’re 5-7-5 poems that don’t include the seasonal reference. Final answer. I think.”

Challenge Completed!

As spring blossoms fall
so fall 30 April poems
and now I can rest

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Thanks for visiting my 2025 A to Z Challenge – Letter Z.

Welcome to my April 2025 Great and Powerful Blogging from A to Z Challenge!

I’ve revealed my theme (A poem a day…with pictures), and of course, I am unashamedly blogging my theme letters on the fly.  So, here goes nothing!

So, without further ado, Y is for …Yadu.

“The ya-du is a Burmese poetic form. Here are the guidelines:

• Quintains (or five-line stanzas).
• Four syllables in the first four lines.
• The final line has either five, seven, nine, or 11 syllables.
• The fourth syllable of the first line rhymes with the third syllable of the second line and the second syllable of the third line.
• The fourth syllable of the third line rhymes with the third syllable of the fourth line and the second syllable of the fifth line.
• The fourth syllable of the fourth line rhymes with the final syllable of the final line.
• Subject usually deals with seasons.
• Most ya-du are written in three or fewer stanzas.“

I think I got this right, but I have to say I am glad there is only one letter left. It’s been a challenging month!

All Year Round (no seasons here)

Sun beams on floors
sparkling more dust
before I clean:
swiffer queen that
can preen around the kitty cats.

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Thanks for visiting my 2025 A to Z Challenge – Letter Y.

Welcome to my April 2025 Great and Powerful Blogging from A to Z Challenge!

I’ve revealed my theme (A poem a day…with pictures), and of course, I am unashamedly blogging my theme letters on the fly.  So, here goes nothing!

So, without further ado, X is for …Badger’s HeXastich,

“Badger’s Hexastich is: a poem in 6 lines.syllabic, 2/4/6/6/4/2. unrhymed, optional rising and falling end-words.“

All I Got Today

Free fall:
cascading blooms
drifting like snow onto
streets, stickers of petals
plastered on car
windows.

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Thanks for visiting my 2025 A to Z Challenge – Letter X.

Welcome to my April 2025 Great and Powerful Blogging from A to Z Challenge!

I’ve revealed my theme (A poem a day…with pictures), and of course, I am unashamedly blogging my theme letters on the fly.  So, here goes nothing!

So, without further ado, W is for …Waka

“The waka is a Japanese 5-line poem (or stanza) that is often considered synonymous with the tanka, because both have a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable per line structure. However, the waka groups its lines together in a particular way. The first 2 lines should make up one piece, the next 2 lines should make the next, and then, the final line can stand on its own–or as part of the second group. It’s possible to end stop after line 2, 4, and 5. But other forms of punctuation can do the trick as well.”

Despite It All

Camellias die
as red striped tulips spring forth.

Cycles continue
despite ife’s twists and trials.

We still wake, open to sun.

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Thanks for visiting my 2025 A to Z Challenge – Letter W.