NPM 2022 - Day 23

Today's poem is written to my grandfather's christening photo. I'm struck by the length of the gown, the setting of the portrait, and the serious look on his face. This photo immediately made me think of my mother, who could shoot a look that made you know you were in big trouble. She didn't even need to speak. One look and you just knew. That's where this poem went.

This poem is written as a senryu. Senryu is a three line poem written in the 5-7-5 form like haiku. While haiku focus on nature, senryu focus on human foibles. You can read more about senryu at How to Write Senryu Poems: Understanding the Senryu Form.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather
April 17 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandfather sent my grandmother
April 18 - Tanka to a First Day Cover celebrating NATO's 10th anniversary (1959)
April 19 - Somonka to my grandparent's wedding photo 
April 20 - Dodoitsu to a list my grandfather made of the cars he owned 
April 21 - Haibun to a newspaper story about a car accident my father was in
April 22 - Tanka to a newspaper masthead from NAAS Jacksonville (1945)

Poetry Friday: NPM 2022 - Day 22

Today's poem is written to the masthead of a newspaper published at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida in August of 1945. My father's flight crew was pictured on the back page and honored as crew of the week. I was surprised that the name of the paper was the Privateer, knowing the history of the word and its connection to state-sanctioned piracy. That's where my poem went.

This poem is written as a tanka. A tanka is a 5-line poem with the syllable pattern 5-7-5-7-7. You can learn more about this form at The Tanka Journal.

You can see the paper in ins entirety below. Click on the images to enlarge them. (Fair warning, some of the articles are representative of the nationalism of the time and offer unflattering stereotypes of Japanese people.)

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather
April 17 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandfather sent my grandmother
April 18 - Tanka to a First Day Cover celebrating NATO's 10th anniversary (1959)
April 19 - Somonka to my grandparent's wedding photo 
April 20 - Dodoitsu to a list my grandfather made of the cars he owned 
April 21 - Haibun to a newspaper story about a car accident my father was in

Finally, I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Margaret Simon at Reflections on the Teche. Happy poetry Friday friends. 

NPM 2022 - Day 21

Today's poem is written to a newspaper clipping we found in my dad's papers after he passed away. We were astounded to learn he'd been in a car accident and that it had been reported in the paper! It was treated like the end of the world when we had minor fender benders, so it seemed he'd been rather hypocritical when we learned about his youthful indiscretion. Oh the stories our parents never tell us about their youth! I can only imagine what happened when he got home.

This poem is written as a haibun. A haibun is a form that combines prose with haiku. Haibun prose is usually descriptive and is meant to set a scene or evoke an image in the reader. It is followed by a haiku that serves to deepen the meaning of the prose, either by expanding on the theme or serving as a juxtaposition to it. You can learn more about haibun at More Than Birds, Bees, and Trees: A Closer Look at Writing Haibun.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather
April 17 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandfather sent my grandmother
April 18 - Tanka to a First Day Cover celebrating NATO's 10th anniversary (1959)
April 19 - Somonka to my grandparent's wedding photo 
April 20 - Dodoitsu to a list my grandfather made of the cars he owned

NPM 2022 - Day 20

Today's poem is written to a list my grandfather wrote on the back of a receipt and slipped in an old calendar. It lists the cars he bought throughout his life by make and color. I really wish he had included information on the model, because I'd love to know more about that Studebaker.

This poem is written as a pair of dodoitsu. I haven't really followed the form too well this time.  While I have (loosely) followed the pattern (a 4-line poem with a syllable count of 7-7-7-5), I have not focused on "love or work with a comical twist." The post What is a Dodoitsu? contains more information about this Japanese form.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather
April 17 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandfather sent my grandmother
April 18 - Tanka to a First Day Cover celebrating NATO's 10th anniversary (1959)
April 19 - Somonka to my grandparent's wedding photo

NPM 2022 - Day 19

Today's poem is written to my grandparent's wedding photo. Married in 1928, I'm struck by how somber the photograph is.

This poem is written (loosely) as a somonka. The somonka is a Japanese form that consists of two tanka written in tandem. Tanka is a form of Japanese poetry that has been practiced for more than 1000 years. Tanka are composed of 31 syllables in a 5/7/5/7/7 format. Most tanka focus on nature, seasons, the discussion of strong emotions, or a single event of some significance. In a somonka, the first tanka is usually a declaration of love, with the second a response to that declaration. You can learn more about the somonka at Poetry Magnum Opus.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather
April 17 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandfather sent my grandmother
April 18 - Tanka to a First Day Cover celebrating NATO's 10th anniversary (1959)

NPM 2022 - Day 18

Today's poem is written to a first day cover. For many years I maintained a web site on teaching with stamps. A woman found my site and offered to donate a large collection of postcards and first day covers for me to use in my teaching. I found this one while looking for covers to share in a class session. Since NATO has been in the news as of late, it seemed a fitting choice. 

This poem is written as a tanka. A tanka is a 5-line poem with the syllable pattern 5-7-5-7-7. You can learn more about this form at The Tanka Journal.

First Day Covers are envelopes affixed with a stamp or stamps on the first day that they are made available for sale to the public. On the first day of issue, the envelope is stamped with a postmark and cancellation indicating the date and location that the envelope was received into the postal service. You can learn more about First Day Covers at The American First Day Cover Society.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather
April 17 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandfather sent my grandmother 

NPM 2022 - Day 17

Today's poem is written to a card my grandfather sent my grandmother. I don't know it if is the companion to the Easter card she sent him (yesterday's post), but I'd like to think so. What I love about his card is how very Art Deco it is. I'm particularly enamored of the font the words are printed in. 

This poem is written as a senryu. Senryu is a three line poem written in the 5-7-5 form like haiku. While haiku focus on nature, senryu focus on human foibles. You can read more about senryu at How to Write Senryu Poems: Understanding the Senryu Form.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child 
April 16 - Senryu to an Easter card my grandmother sent my grandfather

NPM 2022 - Day 16

Today's poem is written to a card my grandmother sent to my grandfather. It's hard to imagine my serious, German grandmother signing a card Wifey. The card isn't dated, but I have to believe it was from early in their marriage, and they were wed November 30, 1922. 

This poem is written as a senryu. Senryu is a three line poem written in the 5-7-5 form like haiku. While haiku focus on nature, senryu focus on human foibles. You can read more about senryu at How to Write Senryu Poems: Understanding the Senryu Form.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 15 - Senryu to a photo of my mother as a child

Poetry Friday: NPM 2022 - Day 15

Today's poem is written to a photo of my mother and her cousin Earl. Earl Jr. was born in 1928, just fourteen months before my mom. I'm guessing this photo might be from 1931 or 1932. Mom always said Earl had the best toys. The rocking horse she's sitting on is pretty indicative of that. 

This poem is written as a senryu. Senryu is a three line poem written in the 5-7-5 form like haiku. While haiku focus on nature, senryu focus on human foibles. You can read more about senryu at How to Write Senryu Poems: Understanding the Senryu Form.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934
April 14 - Somonka to a war letter to my father

Finally, I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Matt Forrest Esenwine at Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme. Happy poetry Friday friends. 

NPM 2022 - Day 14

Today's poem is written to one of the many letters my grandfather sent my father when he was stationed at Kanoehe Bay, Hawaii during WWII. My grandfather wrote several letters a week, sharing all the news from home.

This poem is written as a somonka. The somonka is a Japanese form that consists of two tanka written in tandem. Tanka is a form of Japanese poetry that has been practiced for more than 1000 years. Tanka are composed of 31 syllables in a 5/7/5/7/7 format. Most tanka focus on nature, seasons, the discussion of strong emotions, or a single event of some significance. In a somonka, the first tanka is usually a declaration of love, with the second a response to that declaration. You can learn more about the somonka at Poetry Magnum Opus.

What I love about this letter in particular is the way my grandfather shares funny stories and fills my dad in on everyday life. Here's the letter in its entirety if you want to read it.

 

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art 
April 13 - Senryu to a pair of postage stamps issued in 1934

NPM 2022 - Day 13

Today's poem is written to a set of unused stamps issued in 1934 as a tribute to the mothers of America. These particular stamps are from my father's stamp collection. 

This poem is written as a pair of senryu. Senryu is a three line poem written in the 5-7-5 form like haiku. While haiku focus on nature, senryu focus on human foibles. You can read more about this form at How to Write Senryu Poems: Understanding the Senryu Form.

This stamp is an engraving created by Thomas Carlyle. The image for the engraving comes from James Whistler's work, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (1871). Today it is better known as Whistler's Mother. You can learn more about this work at Whistler's Mother: Grey, Black, and White.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother
April 12 - Senryu to a photo of WWII nose art

NPM 2022 - Day 12

Today's poem is written to a photograph of the art on a WWII plane. My father had an album of photographs from his time stationed in Hawaii during the war. We never knew it existed until after his death. The war was just not something he discussed. In the album, there were several pages of nose art, most of them half-naked pin-up girls.

This poem is written as a senryu. Senryu is a three line poem written in the 5-7-5 form like haiku. While haiku focus on nature, senryu focus on human foibles. You can read more about this form at How to Write Senryu Poems: Understanding the Senryu Form.

Visual marking on planes began in WWI as a means to help pilots separate friendly aircraft from foe. It evolved into an art form during WWII. You can learn more about it at Nose Art - The Most Unique Art By Pilots During WWII. 

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father
April 11 - Dodoitsu to an early family portrait of my mother

NPM 2022 - Poem 11

Today's poem is written to a photograph of my mother and her 4 brothers, taken May 18, 1944, when she was 15. (Mom was born in July of 1929.)

This poem is a dodoitsu, a 4-line poem with a syllable count of 7-7-7-5. The dodoitsu "often focuses on love or work with a comical twist." I know that technically they're not supposed to rhyme, but I couldn't help myself with this one. The post What is a Dodoitsu? contains more information about this Japanese form.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)
April 10 - Somonka to a war letter to my father

NPM 2022 - Day 10

Today's poem is written to a letter my father received from his cousin while he was serving in the war. I imagine it was hard on the young people left behind, particularly as they worried for family and friends and wondered if they would make it home.

This poem is written as a somonka. The somonka is a Japanese form that consists of two tanka written in tandem. Tanka is a form of Japanese poetry that has been practiced for more than 1000 years. Tanka are composed of 31 syllables in a 5/7/5/7/7 format. Most tanka focus on nature, seasons, the discussion of strong emotions, or a single event of some significance. In a somonka, the first tanka is usually a declaration of love, with the second a response to that declaration. You can learn more about the somonka at Poetry Magnum Opus.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 
April 9 - Senryu to a Christmas card from Paris during the war (1944)

NPM 2022 - Day 9

Today's poem is written to a Christmas card my Great Uncle Ray sent to my grandparents. As a child I remember thinking how romantic it must have been to spend Christmas in Paris, not once focusing on the fact that this was during a time of war. (This card was sent after the liberation of France in 1944). Now when I see this card I think more of the incredible resilience of the people. Of course now, I can't help but think of the people of Ukraine.

This poem is written as a senryu. Senryu is a three line poem written in the 5-7-5 form like haiku. While haiku focus on nature, senryu focus on human foibles. You can read more about senryu at How to Write Senryu Poems: Understanding the Senryu Form.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car
April 8 - Dodoitsu to a piece of V-mail from my great uncle 

Poetry Friday: NPM 2022 - Day 8

Today's poem is written to a piece of V-mail my Great Uncle Ray (the youngest of 8 kids) sent to my grandmother (the second oldest). In it he says:

I just got a letter from Babe telling me about the celebration that the gang is planning for Ma & Pa's "Golden Wedding Anniversary" ... to be held on the 29th of November. I might as well let you know right now, that I'm sore as hell at the whole bunch of you for not letting me know about it sooner. Consider yourself bawled out.

Even in a time of war, the kid brother was still giving his big sister a hard time. This doesn't surprise me about my uncle at all.

This poem is written as a pair of dodoitsu. I haven't really followed the form too well this time.  While I have followed the pattern (a 4-line poem with a syllable count of 7-7-7-5), I have not focused on "love or work with a comical twist." The post What is a Dodoitsu? contains more information about this Japanese form.

Victory Mail, more commonly known as V-mail, was used to expedite mail service for American armed forces overseas. Using microfilmed messages reduced the bulk and weight of letters. This meant there was more space on planes for other war supplies and that letters could reach troops faster than before. In the years it was in operation (June 1942-November 1945), more than 1 billion letters were processed. You can learn more about it at Mail Call: V-mail.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad
April 7 - Tanka to a photo of my grandmother and her mother by a car

Finally, I do hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Janice at Salt City Verse. Happy poetry Friday friends. 

NPM 2022 - Day 7

Today's poem is written to a photograph of my grandmother (the teen sitting and looking grumpy) and her mother (my great grandmother). On the back of the photo my mother wrote "Gram Benwitz" and "Mother." That's all I know. I wish I knew more about the car. I wish I knew why my grandmother looked so out of sorts. 

This poem is written as a tanka. A tanka is a 5-line poem with the syllable pattern 5-7-5-7-7. You can learn more about this form at The Tanka Journal.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring
April 6 - Senryu to a student's drawing of my dad

NPM 2022 - Day 6

Today's poem is written to a drawing one of my father's student made of him in 1970. I never thought my father was sentimental, but the fact that we found this drawing among his papers after he died said a lot about how he valued this particular gift. I know I still have cards, drawings, and notes my students have sent me over the years, so I found this piece to be particularly touching. I looked up this student (his name is on the back of the drawing) and found he earned a BS and PhD in chemistry. I'd like to think my dad had something to do with igniting his passion for science.

This poem is written as a senryu. Senryu is a three line poem written in the 5-7-5 form like haiku. While haiku focus on nature, senryu focus on human foibles. You can read more about senryu at How to Write Senryu Poems: Understanding the Senryu Form.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement
April 5 - Gogyohka to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring

NPM 2022 - Day 5

Today's poem is written to the receipt for my mother's engagement ring. I was surprised to see that the store where my father bought the ring sold jewelry AND appliances. I have to believe that $145 was a big investment for my dad at the time. The Dollar Times calculator shows that when adjusted for inflation, $145 in 1951 is equivalent to $1,617 today. That sounded like a lot to me until I read a recent survey that found the average engagement ring cost in the United States is $5,900. Yikes! I paid less for a 2010 Mini-Cooper with 77,000 miles in 2019.

In any case, I found a lot to ponder when I saw this receipt. It certainly wasn't burning a hole in my dad's pocket, as he proposed the next day. Here's the poem I wrote.

This poem is written as a Gogyohka. Gogyohka simply means verse which is written in five lines. This is a non-syllabic form, with each line generally representing one phrase. Invented in the 1960s, the idea was to "take the traditional form of Tanka poetry (which is written in five lines) and liberate its structure, creating a freer form of verse." You can learn more about this form at Writer's Digest Gogyohka: Poetic Form.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento
April 4 - Choka to my mother's engagement announcement

NPM 2022 - Day 4

Today's poem is written to the newspaper clipping announcing my mother's engagement. The page is filled with classifieds and one brief bit of news. I imagine readers were probably more interested in the news story than the happy announcement.

This poem is a choka. The choka is a Japanese form of unrhymed alternating five and seven syllable lines that ends with an extra seven syllable line. It can be any odd number of lines. You can learn more about this form at Poets Collective.

I hope you'll come back tomorrow and see what new inspiration I've found for a poem. Until then, you may want to read previous poems in this series. I'm also sharing these poems on my Instagram in case you want to see them all in one place. 

April 1 - Senryu to a photo of my grandmother as a child
April 2 - Haiku to my mother's recipe
April 3 - Dodoitsu to a war memento