Written for tanka Tuesday at Colleen Chesebro for July 9, 2024 prompt which celebrates
the season of Beginning of Midsummer in the Northern Hemisphere, inviting poets to
express the effects of this time and use kigo words in their syllabic poetry.
For this week I chose to write a bussokuseki.
Bussokuseki-style is an archaic poetic device in which six lines are written in a
5-7-5-7-7-7 mora pattern. It’s an ancient form of waka (tanka), but there is an
extra seven-syllable line at the end of the form.
How I Stay Cool in the Growing Heat
The day melts like caramel
in my mouth—the salt lingers
with this growing heat.
I reach for half a melon
to cool me from the inside—
how much hotter will it get?
© selma
Kigo: day melts, caramel, growing heat, melon.
We chill the honeydew melons and watermelons in a cooler box.
We also eat lots of bitter melons (goya) that we grow ourselves.
Um, did you see my tomatoes:
These, you just pop in your mouth... ((my mama used to peel off the skin and put them in the icebox but I prefer tomatoes room temp)) We also planted cucumbers, bitter melon (goya), and eggplants as usual. Our surfer son/turned farmer is providing us white sweet corn on weekends. All these vegetables are staples for combating the summer heat. AND SALTED Caramel: Please try to get a little salt in your diet. Caramel, my fave.
Read hear for all the details on Syllabic Poetry:
Thank you so much for reading my bussokuseki.
(what are you eating?)
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A lovely poem Selma. Melons 🍉 are good to beat the heat
Cheers for melons. Yay! Stay cool, Sadje.
Thanks my friend. Today the weather is very nice. Rainy and windy.
Melon is the perfect antidote to the heat. (K)
May there always be melons. Stay cool dear K 🤗
sweet and sour and cool and lovely
Thanks dearly Beth. Stay cool.
That is wonderful! I love the salt lingering. Salt from caramel perhaps, but for me I think of salt left on our skins in the heat. So, both, which makes this double lovely. Cooling from the inside with melon. Much more cooling than ice cream I think.
Doubly thanks. Melon is cooling. Stay cool please. Thanks for reading and commenting. 🤗
Brilliant, that melon sounds refreshing
Melons and summer: best!
💞
Both of these poems are lovely. Selma. I love the smell of melon and tomatoes growing the natural sunshine.
Thanks Robbie.
I wish my garden was doing so well!
Oh no… not doing well? I bet it’s too hot.
This is wonderful Selma 💜💜💜
Happy you liked them. Xoxo
I enjoyed your whole post, Selma. Cold fruits can quench thirst so well. We had our fill of watermelon for the 4th of July.
Thanks so much for reading commenting. Melons are cooling.
I love melon, Selma. It’s hot here too. I hope the heat finally settles down for you. Happy Sunday! 💖
We love melon too. Hope you’re safe from storms over there. And cool. Happy new week to you. 🤗
It’s hot and humid, Selma. We had wicked storms last night, and more predicted for tonight. YIKES!
Great poem, Selma! I’m not a fan of caramel – it’s too sweet and sticky for me. I prefer melon and pineapple.
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
Happy summer Yvette. Stay cool. Xoxo
Wonderful poem Selma, I love caramel!
caramel, salted. I love it. Stay cool dear Belladonna. Blessings.
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Thanks so much
Ohhh I love this poem, with melting caramel days and the salt from heat – salted caramel ice cream comes to mind and I can just imagine the smell of fresh summer melon – wonderful
💞Suzanne
Suzanne, thanks for the appreciation of the words. fresh melons are wonderful indeed. Bee safe my friend. xo
Enjoyed your sharing of your world with us, Selma. You are amazing. I enjoy caramel and melons. 🙂
so happy to hear you say that, dear Kitty. YOU are AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL. Stay sweet. ((HUgs))
Thanks a lot, Selma. You words make me happy😀