Monday, December 22, 2014

WHISPERS’ CHRISTMAS SPECIAL ACTIVITY--FORM-BROKEN MONOKU

Brian Strand, an accomplished writer, generously offered to be the activity editor for this wonderful opportunity.  He invited writers to explore his broken monoku form.  The criteria for the form follows--

No title, a line of verse broken into two at the caesura (the natural breathing space or pause in a line of verse, usually near the middle).

I would like to thank Brian for selecting these poems for publication and all the contributors that participated in this activity.  It is a growing experience to try new things and a pleasure to see so many wonderful poems below.  I hope you enjoy them.

                                            --Karen O’Leary, Whispers’ Editor
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A memorial plaque on a park-bench

    someone reads over your shoulder

By Ralph Stott
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the in-between moment -

    twilight emerges

By ayaz daryl nielsen
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Child is born on Christmas-

    cries just like all others.

By Arthur C. Ford, Sr.
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silence in the room-

    a decorated Christmas tree

By Sara Kendrick
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hope, love greet each other –

    ghosts from the past

By Beth Winchcombe
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On the long bridge of morning-

    splashes of dreams

By Joan McNerney
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visiting the home-

    who will I be

By Ron Gognet
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small fingers curl-

    a tear falls from mama's cheek

By Olive Eloisa Guillermo
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Yuletide songs--

    a widow's tears

By Karen O'Leary
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walking in the snow -

    warm companionship

By Jack Horne
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Christmas day-

    no one smiles all of the time

By Barbara Tate
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parish barbecue –

    wine loosens barbed tongues

By Anne Curran
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red rose's weep -

    crystal tears upon autumn's wind

By Rick Parise
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empty cupboards –

    we go to the city mission for lunch

By Maureen Sudlow
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Holly hanging from the doorway...

    thorns hang from a crown

By Phyllis Babcock
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after the funeral-

    only tear he ever shed

By Peggy French
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Gone to seed-

    onion blooms

By Marianne Szylk
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on the verge, road kill rabbit -

    hooded crows arrive for the wake

By Brian Strand
_______________________

** NOTE- Variations to the basic imagist form can also be as follows –sequenced/as ekphrasis/light & humerous/titled to make a third line/epigrammatic/and as a quaternion -as exampled in Brian Strand’s recent kindle ebook-Broken Monoku-a definitive guide (a sample from which can be heard recited on youtube.)
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30 comments:

  1. Jim of ATADecember 22, 2014 at 5:34 PM

    Nice!!! Gonna use with my poetry Seniors group!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Karen O'LearyDecember 22, 2014 at 7:21 PM

    Hi Jim,

    Sounds like at great idea! Brian's short forms are well received by a variety of people. I've know Brian for a number of years and appreciate his contributions to the joy of the poetic experience. Let us know how this turns out.

    Best wishes,
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousDecember 22, 2014 at 10:06 PM

    Thank you so much for this opportunity...
    Maureen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen O'LearyDecember 23, 2014 at 8:15 AM

      Dear Maureen,

      Thank you so much for submitting your thought provoking poem. I think we sometimes forget about those that go hungry.

      Blessings,
      Karen

      Delete
  4. UnknownDecember 23, 2014 at 5:31 AM

    Karen and Brian,
    These are all very nice. I am so glad so many took advantage of this opportunity.
    Yours truly,
    David Fox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen O'LearyDecember 23, 2014 at 8:13 AM

      Dear David,

      I agree with you that the poems are well-written. Thank you so much for taking part in this activity.

      Blessings,
      Karen

      Delete
  5. Joan MackDecember 23, 2014 at 6:38 AM

    These short poems are very exciting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen O'LearyDecember 23, 2014 at 2:04 PM

      Dear Joan,

      I agree. Thank you for sharing your poem for this activity. I enjoyed it.

      Best wishes,
      Karen

      Delete
  6. Karen O'LearyDecember 23, 2014 at 8:20 AM

    Thank you, Beth Winchcombe, for the following--

    I would like to thank Brian Strand for including my Broken Monoku in his selection.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen O'LearyDecember 23, 2014 at 8:22 AM

      Dear Beth,

      Thank you for taking part in this activity. Your poem has a lot of depth for the reader to ponder about. Enjoyed reading it.

      Blessings,
      Karen

      Delete
  7. UnknownDecember 23, 2014 at 11:18 AM

    I feel honored to be included in this collection among so many talented people. Here's hoping for a creative and inspiring new year for everyone.

    Thank you
    Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  8. Karen O'LearyDecember 23, 2014 at 1:52 PM

    Dear Barbara,

    Wishing you an inspiring New Year too! Thank you for participating in this activity. We are planning on more in the coming months. Brian has already submitted a new proposal which I gratefully accepted. Again, thank you, Brian, for being the activity editor for this one.

    Blessings,
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  9. Marianne SzlykDecember 23, 2014 at 3:44 PM

    Thank you, Brian (and Karen & Gayle), for coming up with and holding this Christmastime contest. It's a nice way for me to ease back into poetry and for those of you who are busy during this season to keep writing poetry. Am looking forward to seeing what your next activity will be.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Karen O'LearyDecember 23, 2014 at 4:25 PM

    Dear Marianne,

    Thank you so much for participating in this activity and for your kind words. Brian deserves credit for the idea. This is the third activity Whispers has provided. I hope to continue opportunities with others' help into 2015. Keep your talent coming!

    Warm regards,
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  11. Marianne SzlykDecember 23, 2014 at 6:48 PM

    You're welcome, Karen. I am trying to get one of my former students to send her haiku to you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen O'LearyDecember 23, 2014 at 7:51 PM

      Dear Marianne,

      Thank you so much. I would love to hear from her.

      Blessings,
      Karen

      Delete
  12. ichthysDecember 24, 2014 at 12:45 AM

    These occasional features are clearly popular and as Marianne says above short forms are a good way for a poet to keep in the creative process and I also found them to be a good learning process for the longer forms.Happy Christmas

    ReplyDelete
  13. ichthysDecember 24, 2014 at 1:17 AM

    Thank you for your kind words above Karen.The standard of monoku was really good and I look forward to reading the endeavours of more 'Whisperers' in subsequent features that I have the privilege to edit.Rgds Brian

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen O'LearyDecember 24, 2014 at 9:08 AM

      Dear Brian,

      I really appreciate your efforts with this activity. You took time out of a busy season to give writers an enjoyable opportunity to share their words. I am so grateful. Merry Christmas my friend.

      Blessings,
      Karen

      Delete
  14. UnknownDecember 24, 2014 at 3:35 AM

    I very much enjoyed this selection, and to be included too, is a great honour. Thank you so much for thIs opportunity and poetic challenge.
    Kind regards to all. Ralph

    ReplyDelete
  15. Karen O'LearyDecember 24, 2014 at 9:09 AM

    Dear Ralph,

    Thank you so much for sharing your monoku for this activity. You are so good at them. Glad you enjoyed the selections.

    Blessings,
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  16. UnknownDecember 29, 2014 at 10:54 AM

    I enjoyed this experience of sharing. Thanks to Brian for his efforts in putting it together. It's nice to see so many readers making a contribution to the short form. Ron Grognet

    ReplyDelete
  17. Karen O'LearyDecember 29, 2014 at 11:30 AM

    Dear Ronald,

    Thank you for participating. I really enjoyed your poem. Brian has another idea for January. I hope you share a poem for that one too. Best wishes with all your writing endeavors.

    Blessings,
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  18. pdfrenchDecember 30, 2014 at 8:20 AM

    Thank you Brian and Karen for the opportunity, what a great collection of work!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Karen O'LearyDecember 30, 2014 at 12:00 PM

    Dear Peggy,

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful poem for this activity. I agree with you. The poems are well-written. I appreciate your kind words and your support of Whispers. Best wishes to you in all your writing endeavors.

    Blessings,
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  20. ichthysDecember 31, 2014 at 12:52 AM

    Happy New Year to all the 'broken monoku ' poets mentioned above,may all your creative endeavours blossom in 2015.rgds Brian

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen O'LearyDecember 31, 2014 at 1:45 PM

      Dear Brian,

      Thank you for making this possible. I appreciate it more than I can express. Happy New Year my friend.

      Many blessings,
      Karen

      Delete
    2. UnknownJanuary 1, 2015 at 9:29 AM

      Happy NEW YEAR Brian.It has been a productive 2014 for the 'shorter' verse! Best wishes for 2015. Ralph.

      Delete
  21. Karen O'LearyJanuary 16, 2015 at 1:24 PM

    Dear Ralph,

    Thank you for taking part in the activity. You are so good at this short form. I am very grateful to Brian for bring this form to Whispers for this fun opportunity. Best wishes.

    Karen

    ReplyDelete

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