“Like a child who saves their favourite food on the plate
for last, I try to save all thoughts of you for the end of the day so I can
dream with the taste of you on my tongue.”
― Kamand Kojouri
― Kamand Kojouri
I am not one for goodbyes. They are much too difficult to accomplish,
so instead I will simply say; “hope to see you again someday.” Welcome to my
last prompt at the Imaginary Garden with Real Toads.
A few days ago, as I was surfing the internet, I came across
a poetic form known as “Landay.” It’s a traditional Afghan form which consists
of a single couplet.
There are nine syllables in the first line and thirteen syllables in the second. These short poems typically address themes of love, grief, homeland, war, and separation.
There are nine syllables in the first line and thirteen syllables in the second. These short poems typically address themes of love, grief, homeland, war, and separation.
 |
| Salvador Dali ~ Nude on the Plain of Roses |
Similar to the couplets of a Ghazal, “Landai,” in sequence
works independently and can be grouped by adding more depending upon the
subject matter. Following are a few examples:
Examples of Landay by Afghan women:
Examples of Landay by Afghan women:
“I’ll make a tattoo from my lover’s blood
and shame every
rose in the green garden.”
“My love gave his life for our homeland.
I’ll sew his
shroud with one strand of my hair.”
Be black with gunpowder or blood-red
but don’t come home whole and disgrace my bed.
“Is there not one man here brave enough to see
how my untouched thighs burn the trousers off me?”
how my untouched thighs burn the trousers off me?”
 |
| Dalia Barke ~ Kiss from a Rose |
It's recognition in Europe and in the US came from research carried out by journalist and poet Eliza Griswold and war photographer Seamus Murphy. In fact, an entire issue was dedicated to the poetic form.
Your challenge
is to write a Landay (or a series of Landai) on a subject matter of your
liking. Feel free to explore the various possibilities and pour your heart out. I look forward to reading what you come up with. Please
do visit others and remember to comment on their poems. Have fun!
🌷
Thank you for introducing us to something new, in your very last prompt, Sanaa. I love this form. It helped me to give shape to a poem I wrote yesterday, which seemed to be missing something.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your creative energy and abundant generosity with us, here in the Imaginary Garden.
And thank YOU, Kerry 💞 for making me part of the Garden! I have learned soo much here with our fellow Toads and have enjoyed my time here. This place is home and will always remain in my memory💞
ReplyDeleteYours is a spectacular Landay poem!😍😍 Thank you so much for writing to the prompt!☕
It's not often I write about love, but because it's your last Toads prompt, I wrote some passionate Landai especially for you, Sanaa!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for writing to the prompt, Kim!💞 I absolutely loved your poem!😍😍
ReplyDeleteIntriguing ... thank you for the challenge! Going to miss frolicking in the Garden with you.
ReplyDeleteOh great prompt. I LOVE the landay, especially those written by the women of Afghanistan. I will give it a whirl, later. Right now, the sun is calling me outdoors.
ReplyDeleteI love this form Sanaa. Thank you for introducing it to us. And to all of you here at Toads- Thank you for your support of of all the dreamers and poets here. It has meant so much.
ReplyDelete@Helen; Thank you so much, so glad you liked the prompt! I will miss frolicking here with you too!💞
ReplyDelete@Sherry; Enjoy your time outdoors 💞 heading over to read you!😍😍
ReplyDelete@Linda; Loved your Landay poem!!💞 Thank you so much for everything you do!😘😘
ReplyDeleteInteresting and romantic form. I kept mine traditional and kept it to one couplet. Don't say goodbye Sanaa, say rather, I will see you around the blogosphere. We all seem to write for the same blogs! So I will see you around.
ReplyDeleteI need to go to bed... so glad I could join...
ReplyDeleteWhy is there only one prompt on the home page now? There have always been two.
ReplyDeleteWhy is there only one prompt? I was wondering why I didn't see Shay's second poem.
ReplyDeleteI think I tried this form once a long time ago. I'll never ever do this particular form justice, but it won't stop me from trying.
ReplyDeletethank you Sanaa for this final prompt, and for being such a wonderful and generous host. That goes for all the fine people here at Real Toads.
I know this isn't goodbye and we'll all see one another on other blogs, but I still get a bit sentimental...
Loved this form Saana. Will use it again.No time to do it justice on this occasion. Thank you for your prompts and visits. oHope to see you about the blogosphere.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the question about ONE PROMPT on the Home page, please note that none of the settings of this blog have been changed, so the issue is with Blogger itself and not the management of Real Toads. I would like to apologize for the inconvenience but such things are beyond even my control.
ReplyDeleteKerry--you mean there are limits to a Head Toad??? LOL. Thanks for checking it out, my friend.
ReplyDelete@Kerry; Thank you so much for clearing up the matter 💞☕
ReplyDelete@Bjorn; Loved your poem! Thank you so much for writing to the prompt!💞☕
@Toni; I am glad you enjoyed the prompt, heading over to read you!💞☕
@Rall; Thank you so much, hope to see you around the blogosphere too!💞☕
@The Bizza; Thank you so much for your love and appreciation towards the Imaginary Garden with Real Toads!💞☕
Thank you so much Sanaa for introducing us to this poetic form.
ReplyDeleteSanaa - this is a hard poetic form for me - I hope to come back to it someday. I am so busy with kids recitals and performances that I don't have much free time until after Christmas! I am in for easy peasy poetry - but this is hard (for me). I will read and visit as I think it is an intriguing challenge.
ReplyDelete@Susie; Thank you so much for the wonderful Landay poem!!💞☕
ReplyDelete@Margaret; Hope the kids enjoy and do well with their recitals and performances!💞☕ Thanks for stopping by!
Wish I had time to respond to this prompt, but between packing to go on big trip in a coupe of days, plus being facilitator of two offline writers' groups today and tomorrow ....
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that the Garden will remain here in archive, so we may revisit all the wonderful prompts.
*couple of days
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this form, Sanaa! I'm late to the poetry party but am posting presently. :)
ReplyDelete