This month our challenge was to write ekphrastic dodoitsu. The dodoitsu is a Japanese poetic form of 4 lines with syllables 7/7/7/5. The dodoitsu "often focuses on love or work with a comical twist." You can learn more about this poetic from Robert Lee Brewer at Writer's Digest. Ekphrastic means we used images to inspire our poems.
We shared a number of images in our group so that we'd have a range to choose from. The image I shared was one of my dad when he was stationed in Hawaii during WWII. He loved dogs and took quite a shine to a stray and somehow managed to keep him on base. They named him "Puddles, the transportation dog." Here's the poem inspired by this image.
Kelly shared a photo of a heart chalked on a brick wall. I wrote two poems inspired by this image. (Click on the photos to enlarge.)
Would you like to try the next challenge? Next month we are writing poems inspired by or in the style of Taylor Mali. We hope you'll join us. Are you in? Good! You’ve got a month to craft your creation(s), then share your offering with the rest of us on April 29th in a post and/or on social media with the tag #PoetryPals. We look forward to reading your poems!
I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater at The Poem Farm. Happy poetry Friday friends.
Ah, that poem about your dad and his dog just gets me. The sparks of joy found in a dark time give hope and light, and I am reminded of images coming out of Ukraine: children sharing stuffed toys, people playing violin. The human spirit is strong. Your poem shows this. May we have peace and may we be more like dogs. xo
ReplyDeleteI love the poem about your Dad, Tricia, wonder how many in faraway places took solace from a dog in those hard times? I've seen people post in a similar vein from Ukraine. And that "fleeting like their love" plus the endearing love of the second heart on brick, sweet sentiment.
ReplyDeleteThese are lovely, Tricia. Your dad and that dog could be on a book cover. I'd buy it! I really like the pink chalk fading as love fades, too.
ReplyDeleteyes, a picture is worth a .... I love what your words add to these images. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love these, Trisha! The photo of your dad and his dog is so touching, and your poem articulates the sweetness. The second pink heart poem perfectly compliments the hardness of the brick wall with a tender sentiment.
ReplyDeleteOh, you and I are on a roll with this brick-wall-heart-love-story. My VERY favorite one is the sloppy puppy kisses, though. I hope Puddles had a good life.
ReplyDeleteThese are so good, but the one about your dad--mercy. And that third one made me laugh (especially as a fellow water burner).
ReplyDeleteYour first one gave my heart a hug, but the third one nailed the humor!! Well played!
ReplyDeleteTricia, humor and love make up your trio of poems. The one about your Dad was a good memory of what was-sloppy kisses was a slurpy good wording. The last dodoitsu had a hilarious ending.
ReplyDeleteOh, that brick-hard heart unsoftened by burning water! Puddles' sloppy kisses cross the decades quite effectively, too. These are all so fun to read.
ReplyDeleteI ADORE the impenetrable wall, but honestly -- it's your dad and that dog that really take the day. Swoooon!
ReplyDeleteThe poem paired with the picture of your dad with the dog is so heartwarming, and it's fun to see two different poems inspired by the same photo - the last line of the last poem made me LOL. Thanks for sharing these with us!
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