The Versesmith

  The  W aka   is a 5-line Japanese poem which is sometimes confused with the tanka.  Both have a 5/7/5/7/7 syllable structure, however the W aka's lines are arranged in a particular way.  The first 2 lines make up one piece, the second 2 lines another, then the final line can be part of the second group, or stand on its own.  W restlers I (there is another I call W restlers II ) was painted in 1960 by my father, W in Smith. as in ancient G reece the three men wrestle naked the early morning sunrise seeps through open doors shadows dance on the gym floor ©202 6 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved  

 The V erso- R hyme was invented by L. Ensley Hutton.  It is written on a subject the poet feels emphatic and enthusiastic about, as it ends in an exclamation point. * 8 lines (an octastich) * syllables 6/4/6/4/6/4/6/4 * rhyme pattern  x a x b x a x b * usually right margined  * the only punctuation is an exclamation point at the end   (I am not religious, so please forgive me if the poem has things incorrect.  Read it as a poem, not a how-to for prayer.) I found this hand-painted Mexican devotional Madonna painting in the Goodwill Outlet bins.   It's about 75 years old, not a tourist item. Virgin, we pray to you our pleas be heard your generous comfort never ending we supplicate you now to hear our word we kneel before you our prayers ascending! ©202 6 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved  

U ta (Japanese lyric poetry) is the general term for Japanese poems, especially waka (most common a tanka), and also includes older forms like chōka and sedōka.  I have written a tanka.  U rban Showers is my title for this ink on newsprint by Mary  Pedri.  In a previous life it won an award at the 1963 Lodi Grape Festival and National Wine Show.  That's Lodi, California.  It was a birthday gift from one of my sons, who found it at Goodwill.   wet pavement glimmers under the dim sidewalk lamps commuters rush to taxi stands and bus shelters autumn rain in the city ©202 6 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved  

T ermelay, an unrhymed 6-line poem where line 6 repeats line 3, with syllables 4/4/4/8/8/4.  Some syllable counters will show "remembrances" as three, however it's one of those words that we pronounce differently from the formal rules. T urquoise Memories is a monotype, a print created by drawing or painting on a smooth, non-absorbent surface and transferring that image onto paper.  A monotype is one of a kind.  I bought this at Goodwill for $5.21.  There was a gallery sticker on the back, $550! Remembrances swirl in my mind just out of reach nudging memory, soft white sand turquoise waters, you in my arms just out of reach ©202 6 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved      

  The S edoka form is believed to have originated in ancient Japan. It is often written in pairs, with two consecutive S edoka poems forming a larger poem know n as a K atauta . The two S edoka poems are typically connected thematically and often tell a story or express a single idea or emotion.  Mine is a pair written from the viewpoint of a husband and wife.  S edoka are short, three-line poems that share many features with haiku. But they are arranged in a different syllable pattern, 5-7-7 rather than 5-7-5. S udden S hower over S hin-Ohashi Bridge , by Hiroshige Atake.  My print is either a late Edo-period (1857-1868) or early Meiji impression (late 1860s-1870s), both considered "original period" impressions printed from the original blocks, using the same pigments and techniques as the first edition (1857).  There would be a seal to date it more accurately, but it's currently matted and framed so the seal cannot be seen.   How it came to be in m...

         A R everse Etheree is simply an Etheree turned upside down. In an Etheree the syllable count begins with one, and increases each line until the last line with 10. Here the syllable count begins with 10 and sequentially runs thru 1.  The R anch House  is my name for this unsigned mid-century (1930s - 1950s) California regional impressionism.  I bought it as a present to myself with a tax refund back when I worked and got tax refunds!  I did pay more than you are used to my paying for art, $89.00.  The ranch up the road is abandoned now; the tenants up and left last Wednesday. No warning, left no trace behind. I walk the yard, take in the  scent of eucalyptus,  mists from the ocean. My old dog whines, turns around to go home. ©2026 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved