Hello, and welcome to
and 
's Day at a Glance
We're SOOPAH excited to have you all here. Hopefully, you're ready for a challenge--this month is going to be EPIC.
You may have noticed, if you've already scoped out the
(Form Chart), there's something fishy afoot! Let's take a look, yes? In the words of our esteemed Mistress of Words, kiwi-damnation ...This year is about world regions, with 5 major regions with 6 forms each and a wild card with 1. That totals 31. When a day is allocated to a region, for example "The Middle East", you can choose from the 6 presented. Once you have used that form though, you can't use it again.
This means our "Day at a Glance" posts will be separated BY FORM each day, to give a more in-depth look at one specific option. If you picked a different form to focus on, don't panic--we'll just be covering that form in a future post! We will still be featuring EVERY submission we receive each day!
How's everyone doing? How am I doing, with these posts?
The Americas -- Day 17
The Form:
Quentina
The Quintina was created by Steven Owen Shields and is rather similar to the sestina, only shorter. It consists of five quintains and a two line envoi containing the 5 end words used in the piece. No specific meter or rhyme.
The structure is as follows:
ABCDE | CDBEA | BEDAC | DAECB | ECABD + Envoi [ABC/DE or AB/CDE]
Wow. That's...convoluted. Alright, let's try to break this down.
--Quintains are stanzas with five lines.
--This entire piece is one GIANT refrain! (which means you'll be repeating lines over and over in different orders...choose your words carefully!)
--The two lines at the end will use each of your five ending words (as in, each word at the end of your lines). These words will go in the same order as in stanza one. You will be splitting them up between your last two lines--follow the structure outline above.
I just...uhm... I think this is much better understood with an example at hand.
Examples of Quintina:
<da:thumb id="302758693"/>
Your words make no birds fly
It's only that I am unaccustomed
to your words, to the canonical
way you place them online, expurgate
the adverbs, the hearts, the pink coat-mink
that I'd like to think, once-time, was soul-tailored
to be someone's pet. Somehow you tailored
language into nothing. I am accustomed.
Just that. I am cyberspace, the Sea Mink,
the clothing-farmed and shot with a cannon
(slap-on-glass) against words you expurgated.
I'd like to claw into coding, un-expurgate
the mental edits, the tweaks that tailored
metal bits into living flesh-bark. "Canonical"
is your word; trees are not accustomed
to those rules. Redwoods are brown like mink.
Wordpaint and maybe you'll get a red mink -
red like rust and sunset sap and expurgated
rasps of my soul against yours. Fur is unaccustomed
to color. Bark isn't made for the wire that tailors
it to the core. For you, barking just isn't canonical
enough. Tailor your canon to those accustomed
to wearing dead, expurgated mink.
</i>
Once Upon a TimeOnce upon a time
everything was fine
everyone was happy
including me
words could never hurt me
looks never stung me
my heart never broke
the weight of my world was light
I had friends
my family was whole
no one ever died
no one ever lied
backs were never stabbed
yea
once upon a time
not anymore
The Quintina (example)
As I Bid My Last Farewell by Gomopy
To feel my heart breaking,
And have my hands shaking,
To say my farewell.
My goodbyes and sorrow,
With the last shake of my hand.
I remember when you held my hand,
Kissed my forehead and said, "Farewell,
My love, I shall see you tomorrow," My world now breaking.
I remember that memory, now my fist shaking
in anger. Tears down my face, in sorrow.
I always looked at your face, no sorrow,
But now that's all mine is full of, pen in my hand,
Writing this, letters shaking.
Your heart may be aching, but never breaking,
Why must you say farewell?
"Darling, my sweet, must I say farewell?
I'm sorry your heart may be breaking,
But my sadness, my sorrow,
Is too much too bare. I shake my hand
Farewell, sturdy and strong, but still shaking."
Bow I stand up, legs shaking,
And let myself know what will happen, sorrow
Getting to me, my hand
Reaches up, and I say my last farewell.
My world no longer breaking.
My heart breaking, words shaking,
I bid farewell with my sorrow, with one last shake of my hand.
Come back tomorrow for a look at all pieces submitted for Day 1...and another awesome form! Ciao! from your
