24 Seasons: Shousho 小暑 (Growing Heat)

        24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge, No. 43   

 Growing Heat 小暑(Shousho)

"Your writing invitation is to choose one of the 24 Forms for your poem. You can use the kigo words and phrases from the Part I challenge post… or you can use the phrases I’ve created… Below…  Use one kigo phrase in each of your three poems in whatever order you’d like. If you can’t write three poems, please write at least one."

Northern Hemisphere:

    • #1: “smoldering heat”

    • #2: “midsummer darkness”

    • #3: “cutting the grass”



Midnight Dip 
(Shadorma: "smoldering heat")

smold’ring heat

sleep flees the damp sheets

once again

up at two

I step out into the yard

dip feet in dog’s pool


credit

A Thunder Moon 

(American Cinquain: "midsummer darkness") 


no sleep

again tonight

in midsummer darkness

the Thunder Moon's bright light a lie

no rain


I Will Cut No Grass Today

(Double Etheree: "cutting the grass")


I

will not

be cutting

the grass today,

nor yet tomorrow.

Let it go to seed, wild.

Scattered to the chickadees

panting in the grape arbor's shade,

as they wait for cooling sundown to

touch the birdbath, presently a hot tub.


No, this summer grass will be left to brown.

I won't be bothered with it this year

nor yet next, perhaps not again.

Let the meadow mice burrow

away from noontime sun,

and searching house cats.

No, this summer

the grass will

not be

cut.


credit

©2024 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved 

#tankatuesday #tankatuesday24seasons #kigo #cinquain #etheree #shadorma  #summerheat #growingheat #shosho #shousho 

Comments

  1. Brilliant, Lisa! I, too, will not be cutting the grass. My lawn guys will, though. Lol! ;-)

    Yvette M Calleiro :-)
    http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Extraordinary, Lisa. We've not grass to cut, but weeds seem to erupt through the rocks. 🌞

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  3. I love the double Etheree about cutting the grass. LOL! My husband has been cutting the grass, but I need to start helping him more often. The heat wears us out, so your sentiments would be so lovely. We live in an HOA so we have to keep the yard mowed. 💜

    ReplyDelete
  4. Enjoyed your poetry, especially the Double Etheree. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. “the birdbath, presently a hot tub.”
    😱poor birds.

    ReplyDelete
  6. A trifecta of perfection, Lisa. The sleeplessness, the lying moon, and taking a stand against mowing. The mowing one always has me feeling like I'm behind so I keep putting it off...

    ReplyDelete

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