While there are many forms from around the world that begin with the letter J, I delighted in discovering this one over at PoetryBase called Johnn (for its creator).

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The Johnn Poetic Form

A poetic form created mainly to help AtoZers like me 🙂 This one is short and long at the same time! How so? You ask me. Well, read on to understand why I say that.

Thanks to PoetryBase where I found this form.

What is the Johnn Poetic Form?

A simple syllabic three-verse form with the title preceding each verse, where each verse is spread across five lines.

At its most basic, the Johnn’s characteristics are that it is:

• Versed: has three verses
• Syllabic: the three verses are split across five lines with the following syllable counts: 2, 3, 4, 3, 2/ 4, 6, 8, 6, 4/ 2, 3, 4, 3, 2.
• Unrhymed
• With a refrained title: The same title precedes each of the three verses giving an element of repetition

This is how it looks

Title
xx
xxx
xxxx
xxx
xx

Title
xxxx
xxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxxxxx
xxxx

Title
xx
xxx
xxxx
xxx
xx

My Attempt

What Tugs At My Heartstrings?
Their smiles
and laughter
Their happiness
and sadness
Their pouts

What Tugs At My Heartstrings?
When they hug me,
And sometimes when they don’t.
All those tiny treasured moments
Be it a heart-to-heart
Or even when not.

What Tugs At My Heartstrings?
A peck
On my cheek,
a “Love you, ma,”
little things
they do!
~Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

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The Book

Jamberry

I needed to read this a few times over, simply for the sheer joy of it, the rhymes, the berries everywhere, the clever ways Degen inserts berries into the rhymes, the friendship and happiness of doing the everyday things that shines through, and last but not the least, the colorful and adorable illustrations.

So very joyous and jubilant and jammy!! Now I need some berries for myself, and some jam too.

Get it here

Related Reads and Suggested Activities

• Pair Jamberry with some berry picking activities at a local farm near you, and make some jam (or not!). If you live in the US, you can use U-Pick Farm Locator to find one in your area.
• Check out this Multigrain Berry Fruity Coffeecake recipe
• Or this Grilled Oatmeal that is a hearty and unique twist to regular oatmeal
• If you have not read Robert McCloskey’s Blueberries for Sal, you should check it out

Ten 12 Poets I Want to Read

 This week’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday over at ThatArtsyReaderGirl is top ten authors I haven’t read yet, but want to. Considering I am focusing on poetry this month, I am picking ten 12 poets instead. I am guessing I might have read a poem or two by these poets, but I can’t recall so here they are on this list for I do want to, have to read them soon. If you need more poets, you can also check out this list of 12 women poets to read.

As for the poets below, if you have read any of them, I would love to get reading recommendations from you. Which of their poems/books/collections should I read first?

1. Joy Harjo
2. Ocean Vuong
3. Bhanu Kapil
4. Claudia Rankine
5. Derek Walcott
6. Seamus Heaney
7. Julia Alvarez
8. Francisco X. Alarcón
9. Aimee Nezhukumatathil
10. Louise Glück
11. Arundhati Subramanian
12. Vikram Seth (as a poet)

And Now, the End of This Post

Dear readers, have you read the featured book? I would love to hear your thoughts (if you have read them) as well as recommendations for similar books. What do you think about the Johnn poetic form? Will you attempt one? Hope you try this one or any other I have mentioned so far. You can check them out in the links below:

Day 0  Day 1 – A  Day 2 – B  Day 3  Day 4 – C  Day 5 – D  Day 6 – E  Day 7 – F  Day 8 – G Day 9 – H Day 10 Day 11 – I

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