Friday, March 4, 2016

Sedoka: Two Halves Make a Whole

Whirling head poem.  

That's how one site translates the ancient Japanese poetry form, the Sedoka  (旋頭歌)  

Don't you love that?

The idea of Sedoka is that two poems (each of the syllable count 5-7-7) are put together, and the whole is a more complete picture than either half.




Bowl of cherries, ripe.
Best to eat them, one by one
By oneself, with attention.


Bowl of cherries, ripe.
Best to pie them, all in all
Before you get too mind full.

----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)


The Sedoka can also be used as a form of dialogue, with one poem talking to the other. That includes head-whirling joke-telling, right? (Please forgive me.)


Waiter, there’s a fly.
There! in my soup, back-stroking!
Put him back in the punch line.

Doctor! There’s a joke
There! In my coffee, sinking!
Milk it, my dear one. Milk it.

Mortician! There’s no
brevity in my wit; could
rigor mortis have set in?

Scribe, a eulogy!
There! in my plump thesaurus!
It’s dying a thousand deaths.

---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)




My Poetry Sisters all played with Sedoka today, too. Go see what wonderful wholes they made:

Liz
Laura
Tricia
Andi
Tanita
Kelly


Poetry Friday is hosted today by Linda at TeacherDance.

20 comments:

  1. Wow. You've really outdone yourself with these. And no apologies needed for the "head-whirling, joke telling." The voice in each one is marvelous and together so playful. Well done!

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    1. Thank you, Tricia. I was worried my humor was too weird for general consumption... :)

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  2. I love your opening description. Whirling head poem, where the whole is a more complete picture than either half. Yes! Also, I want to keep that cherry poem on the wall in my kitchen. It's just perfect.

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    1. I would be honored to be in your kitchen, Andi. I'm not even sure where the thought of cherries came from---it's a long time until summer, let alone spring

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  3. Ohh, I hadn't seen that Grover clip in eons!! I thought that was the HEIGHT of humor as a child. I think your poetic jokes are pretty awesome, too. You possess an ability to inject humor into anything, and I think that is a gift, full stop.

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    1. I still think that video is funny now. They COMMIT, you know? Just truly commit to the scene.... And thank you for your words about my humor. You are a good friend, full stop.

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    2. (Just wanted to also comment that I love the cherry picture; can't WAIT 'til it's time for them again. For me the last word in your first poem would be "MINE full.")

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  4. These are hysterical! I like the loveliness of the cherry one and the with of the poet one--of course.

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    1. Thanks, I had to change the poet to a scribe (less syllables) but yeah---the thought of a eulogy dying a thousand deaths inside a thesaurus is just...my kind of joke. Oh, nerd that I am!

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  5. Oops. That should be "wit." :D

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  6. Oooo -- you revised that cherry one just slightly -- it's perfect. And I love the joke ones. They crack me up and it's helpful to remember not to take poetry too seriously....

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    1. Thanks, Liz. Your poetry is always, always lovely, so I'm glad I can amuse you in any way. xo

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  7. You have indeed set my mind whirling - your double sedoka (or whatever it is) about jokes is so clever, and I love the cherries, alone or in a pie.

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    1. Who knows what form those last ones are, Kelly---double something or other---but thanks for the kind words. I was in an odd mood when I went off on the joke tangent, but luckily, my Poetry Sisters don't kick me out for such things. :)

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  8. So clever and such fun! Thanks for sharing!

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  9. As I read all the sisters' sedoka, I am learning the breadth of what is possible, and loving each as it stands alone. Your cherry poems are lovely, Sara. I love "with attention". Ad the jokes brought a new look at the form to me.

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    1. Thank you! It's an interesting form, and I think all of us were surprised by where it led us. Maybe more people will try this form, and who knows? A trend may be born....

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  10. GROANNNNnnn!! (but in the best possible "I appreciate your puns" kind of way!!)

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    1. I'm honored by your groaning....that is always the proper way to show respect for a pun (like slurping your soup, I say.) So, thanks!

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