Oge.e.ku

I’ve always loved poetry. In my own superficial wanna-be-a-poet way. I’m enamored by the thought of being “poetic”. By the hope that someday I might say something profoundly lyrical. Or lyrically profound.

That desire, though, is soundly based in a deep respect for the written word. Prose/poetry. Fiction/memoir. Journalism/satire. A beautifully composed thought is powerful in any format. But it’s the dramatic imagery, the romantic verse and even the silly little ditty that make poetry so beguiling.

In recent years I became fascinated with Haiku. I think part of the appeal for me is that it is so peaceful, so simple, so lovely. But more recently I’ve decided what I miss in this style is the rhyming nature of poetry.

Two of my early favorite poets were Ogden Nash and E. E. Cummings. Nash because of his surprising humor and pun like rhymes. Cummings because of his rogue elimination of the period and his frequent touch of satire.

Therefore, I announce the formation of a new form of poetry, one that makes use of the elements I admire. I’ve named it -- Oge.e.ku

Here’s the structure:

Og – for Ogden Nash. This calls for the use of irregular meter and off kilter rhyming devices with words that are sometimes deliberately misspelled.

Example:

Candy
is dandy
but liquor
is quicker.

e.e. – for E. E. Cummings. Pull in the lower case format, some idiosyncrasy of syntax with a dash of surrealism and peculiarity.

Example:

I sing of Olaf glad and big
whose warmest heart recoiled at war:
a conscientious object-or

ku – for Haiku. The short form reigns here, but its not limited to three lines or a certain number of syllables. Nature and seasons can, or cannot, be connected to the theme.

Example:

Morning light appears
The new day has awoken
Nature stirs and sighs

That’s it! The structure is so unstructured even I can do it.

Contorted, twisted, eagle spread
bewitching, twitching, lump of lead
my dog, while small in stature be,
takes up more space in bed than me

.............................................

am I wise
to compromise
the gypsy in my soul?

.............................................

A virgo’s lot
is always not
a Pollyanna view;
the color’s wrong
the song’s too long --
sour note, bad hue

I’m sure over time I will do some tinkling with the elements of Oge.e.ku. But for the moment I declare it born unto the high world of poetry. If someone is reading this (I think there’s one or two of you), I encourage you to partake of this liberating new format for expressing your silliest thoughts. Go forth and be free with your rhymes….and please post them to this blog.