Category Archives: nature

Landay – Day 7

How sweet the scent of grass, freshly sheared,
even in her distress, she weeps grace-filled fragrant tears.

~kat

I have so enjoyed the Landay this week. It’s an evocative, bold form that truly gives the writer permission to say what needs to be said. Perhaps even a way to say out loud what others wish they had the nerve to say! It’s been a good week. I am glad to now have the Landay in my notebook. I’m sure I will revisit it again. But for now, it’s time to explore another form. Tomorrow we will explore the Tricube! Stay tuned!

Landay – The Landay is the poetic form of Afghan women. The poem is 22 syllables long and contains 2 lines. 9 syllables in the first and 11 in the second. Rhyme is not specifically called for but a great many do rhyme at the end of each line. Subjects can include, but are not limited to, war, separation, homeland, grief, or love.

Pronunciation/Etymology. In Pashto, “landay (LAND-ee)” means “short, poisonous snake,” likely an allusion to its minimal length and use of sarcasm. Landays (or landai) often criticize traditions and gender roles.


the dark forest

the dark forest

as the days grow longer,
trees burst, dense and green,
the forest floor grows dark
nights, though shorter, darker still
moon and stars hidden beyond
the arboreal canopy, even on
cloudless evenings; of course
I wouldn’t know…is it dawn
or dusk or midday? it’s hard to tell
here in the woods where sweltering
days are cool and damp, where
squirrels leave remnants of hickory
shells and millipedes slither through
decaying leaves, where trees dance
in the breeze, mimicking the sound of
waves crashing into the seashore, where
woodpecker’s wild calls echo from
the heights, where crows cackle, cowbirds
cluck and mourning doves coo from
the shadows, and bright red cardinals
perch nearby, messengers from beyond
assuring us all is well, all is well

~kat

Taking a break today from the brevity of micro poetry. Isn’t this time of year breathtaking?! My senses are waking up from slumber…just had to pause to take it all in! 🌷


pink moon

pink moon

bloom
flower moon
I hardly noticed
day fading into night
bright

~kat

I have enjoyed spending a week with the Elfchen. Come Monday looking forward to a new, new poetry form to practice…the Than-bauk! With three four syllable lines in total, easy-peasy right?! Ah, but there is a bit of a twist! Stay tuned! 😊

The Elfchen, known as an “elevenie” in English, the German elfchen (which loosely translates to “little eleven” or “wee eleven”) contains 11 words separated into five lines: one word, then two, then three, then four, then one again. The first line of an elfchen is traditionally some single-word concept, thought, or thing, which the rest of the poem describes—what it does, how it looks, how it makes you feel, whatever strikes your fancy. The last line is often a synonym or some other overarching reflection of your first word.

at dawn

at dawn

shaded
beneath trees
green and lush
sunlight tendrils streaming through
quiet

~kat

It’s a Saturday, so I decided to combine poetry forms: an Elfchen using Magnetic Poetry tiles from the Nature Collection because…hey, why not! 😊

An Elfchen is known as an “elevenie” in English, the German elfchen (which loosely translates to “little eleven” or “Elfchenwee eleven”) contains 11 words separated into five lines: one word, then two, then three, then four, then one again. The first line of an elfchen is traditionally some single-word concept, thought, or thing, which the rest of the poem describes—what it does, how it looks, how it makes you feel, whatever strikes your fancy. The last line is often a synonym or some other overarching reflection of your first word.


it’s elemental

(a five-part Magnetic Poetry poem using the Nature kit) 

it’s elemental

if i was the wind
i would breathe through you
murmuring sweet poetry and
gently toss your hair
only to hear you sigh

if i was the rain
I would sweeten your
garden with lovely wetness
only to see you grow wild
and verdant, glistening in the sun

if i was the earth
brown and fertile beneath you
i would make a soft bed of
thick moss in the cool dark
so you can rest your soul
when this world is too much

if i was the sun
i would blanket you
in warmth, in pure love,
from dawn to dusk and
even through the night,
the moon shining bright

in wind and rain, earth
and fiery sun, always
know that i am here
gently loving you with
all that i am

~kat

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