The New Haiku - Sijo for Hikers?

[Amicus]

An article in today's Boston Globe introduced me to the Korean poetry form of Sijo (SHEE-jo). Like the Japanese Haiku form, it is based on counting syllables, rather than meter or rhyme, but it is longer and thus gives you more flexibility to tell a little story. This part of the article describes them , while this part summarizes the rules for writing one.

A Sijo is three lines. All three lines comprise four segments of three, four or five syllables. (A segment may be a single word). The syllable counts are:

First two lines: 3 - 4 - 3 or 4, as you like it - 4.

Third line: 3 - 5 - 4 - 3.

Finally, the third line is supposed to start with some twist on the first two, then end in a resolution. The Haiku form is getting a little stale after decades of overuse, so this might be fun for any hiker whose Inner Muse occasionally wishes to break forth in song but who can never think of a good rhyme.

The Bushwhack

Damn! more stabs. Barbwire massage.
I can see four feet ahead.

And below, blowdown canyons
lurk in wait to snatch a leg.

But look there! White canister's gleam!
Maltese Falcon. This is fun.

 

[DrJJFate]

Paper read. Cover to back.
Or online, if you prefer

Then to Views, to post updates
of adventures I have taken

Hiking no. Stuck in the office,
Simply reading the days news.

 

[wardsgirl]

The Curse of the Bespectacled Rainy Day Hiker

Car door slams, boots hit the ground,
Webs catch rain, fog turns to mist.

Glasses smeared, rain makes me blind!
Where am I? I surrender!

No more rain! I'm getting Lasik!
I won't be back, until then.

 

[dentonfabrics]

Warm rain chills my bones.
I'm sick of this. I can hike no more.

The river overflows. No trout here.
I cannot fish either.

West Side Road, left onto Route Sixteen.
Moat Mountain Brewery.

 

[wardsgirl]

Trailwork

Hoes clink rock, cleaning drainage,
Clippers cut branches away.

Bow saw out, this tree must go!
Poked out eyes are not funny.

Work complete, splash in the river,
Trailwork deserves ice cold beer.

 

[Amicus]

Brewery

and

ice cold beer

- good examples of ending with a (happy) resolution. That's it's the same one is not surprising, to anyone who knows hikers.

 

[wardsgirl]

Backpacker Girl

Shelter guys won't move over,
When they see my boyfriend near.

They tell him there's a campsite
A half mile down the long trail.

I catch up. "There's plenty of room!
We'll move over! Come, stay here!"