Romancing the Romantic

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This is a contest ENTRY for  2014 Hearth and Home Contest: Open   Just to say the word
home, that one word alone,
   so pleasantly cool
 - Kobayashi Issa
As the season draws closer to solstice we find ourselves spending more time indoors appreciating the comforts of home.  Pull up a chair next to the hearth (or a/c for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere) and tell us about yours.
Select a Prompt
Write about your home
Write about a memory tied to your home
Write about your ideal home
Write about what makes a home, home
Rules
Write an original poem using an Eastern poetry form of your choice. Your poem should follow the style and structure guidelines for the chosen form. Remember to mention the form you chose and include a reference to this contest and journal entry in your deviation comments. Then submit your devia

The prompt was "home."  I chose to mix a little bit of my dream home with a little bit of my real home.  I love my husband ( AzraeloftheRoses ); anywhere he is is home to me!

The form I chose was the Kyoka; you can find more information about this form in the following places:


Poetry Discussion 1: KyokaIn this journal series, I will be discussing the Japanese poetic concept known as Kyoka. Traditionally known as the “mad poem,” Kyoka is a comedic verse written in the unit structure of tanka. While many editors of haikai regard kyoka as a subset of traditional tanka, I believe that there are enough differences to warrant a distinction between the styles.
In this three part journal series, I will discuss the concept of kyoka and its relationship to traditional tanka verse. As kyoka is centered on the principle of “mushin” I will also revisit this concept in the series.
This series is being presented with the assumption that those reading have had some exposure to the tanka form. I ran a journal series last year discussing tanka in detail. It can be seen in my previous journals. I will also link the previous tanka series to the bottom of this journal.  
In many ways, the relationship between tanka and kyoka is similar to that of haiku an  Poetry Discussion 2: Kyoka ConceptsIn my previous journal, I gave a general overview of the Japanese poetic style known as Kyoka. I discussed a few concepts of kyoka and briefly examined its importance in studying traditional tanka.
In this journal, I will elaborate on kyoka’s relationship to classical tanka. While modern tanka incorporates a wide range of subject matter, it is important to understand when this transition occurred.
Just as haiku underwent several reformations during Japan’s Edo period, tanka shifted from an emphasis on aristocratic subjects to a more inclusive style incorporating the perspective of the working class. Previously forbidden topics including sexuality, humor, and social critique were now openly incorporated into the form. These new freedoms became the foundation of kyoka.
In terms of unit structure, classical tanka incorporated a “5-7-5-7-7” pattern. The third unit of the poem usually served as a pivot point to juxtapose the upper and lower phase of the pie  Final Discussion: Kyoka ExamplesIn my previous journal, I discussed concepts specific to kyoka. I elaborated on kyoka’s relationship to traditional tanka and discussed the importance of studying mushin in the form. As I mentioned in my introduction to kyoka poetry, understanding the concept is relatively easy. However, as it is so similar to senryu, I believe that knowledge of one style can help with knowing the other.
In my third and final journal of this series, I will compare examples of poems written in kyoka spirit. While I had initially planned to talk about the life and work of haikai master Masaoka Shiki, I have decided that examples of kyoka would be much more beneficial. I will move the journal on Shiki to another series.
As I mentioned before, good kyoka incorporate elements of bawdy humor, satire, sexuality, and even politics. For example
1.
sorority bake sale
the girl I dumped
last year
serves me
a cold brownie
(taken from my gallery)
2.
after
making love
the tanka
I had written-
crink

December 6th, 2014