Slumbers' Kiss

crickets sing gently
beneath the moon's lushes glow
waking dreams behind closed eyes

car horns serenade
beneath flashing neon lights
coaxing dreams to steal the night

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A note on form:  One form I have found interesting is the sedōka.  Being an ancient Japanese form predating the haiku, there is little about this form for an unschooled poet who relies on the internet for information.  It has been linked with the choka, tanka, and katauta.  Most closely it is related to the katauta; I have found sources that state the katauta is 5-7-7 and/or 5-7-5 (like a haiku, but without the nature link).  The form is known as a half-song...putting two together (in the 5-7-7 version) creates a sedōka.  My first exposure to the sedōka stated it was often a pair of individual poems (able to stand on their own) that addressed the same subject in a different manner.  I think this is what I like most about the form.  There is also sources that indicate this pairing was an exchange between lovers.  I prefer to link that instead with the katauta with the idea that two different individuals are writing in a call-n-response form.  I have been exploring this notion in a series called A Tale of Love (and Woe) - Lovers' Song.  Tomorrow I will be sharing the 8th piece in the series.

Faded Memories (Ribbon-Bound Letters)

mem'ries unravel
in a tattered—threadbare—mind
stealing away precious words

love unfolds within
tissue thin—tear stained—pages
holding safe those precious words

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A note on form: This little number is an attempt at a sedōka. There is very little on the form outside of the fact that it is Japanese and predates the haiku. It is formed by two katauta (5-7-7). While there may be different takes on the form, I have always composed it as two separate (yet conjoined) poems focused on looking at the same entity from different perspectives. My initial introduction to this form was from the website Shadow Poetry.