By Ashley Lister
The shadorma is something of an enigma. Authorities are
unsure about its ancestry. Is it an overlooked Spanish form that has been
around for ages? Or is it a relatively new innovation that has been brought to
us in the guise of something with a history?
These questions won’t be answered here. This is partly
because I’m not clever enough to know how to respond but mainly, because I don’t
care one way or the other. Whether it’s ancient or modern, the shadorma is a
fun poetic form that’s worth the time and effort of any writer wanting to stretch
literary muscles with a brief warmup exercise. To my mind, this is the only
detail worth considering with regards to any poetic form.
I don’t want
your lace-topped stockings
black thong or
fuck-me shoes.
I just want you without your
designer labels.
The shadorma is a six lines stanza made up of lines that
contain 3-5-3-3-7-5 syllables respectively. There is no fixed rhyme scheme. A
shadorma can consist of a single stanza, or the form can be used to produce a
longer poem with multiple stanzas.
Sad to say
despite best efforts
(replacing
batteries
shaking it ‘til it wobbles)
the rabbit is dead.
Take comfort
or consolation
from this fact:
that rabbit
died doing what he loved best.
His last words were, “buzz.”
The shadorma can be a lot of fun and, as with all poetic
forms, it’s a great way to discipline your writing muscles. The majority of online
material discussing this form reiterates the need for six unrhymed lines in the
format of 3-5-3-3-7-5 syllables. If you do get a chance to play with this one,
it would be great to see your poetry in the comments box below.
Learning how
To write shadorma
Is fun, yet
Frustrating.
Damn him! That Ashley Lister,
For taxing my brain!
Anna Sky
I read and liked your
shadorma.
Fun to read.
Very neatly edited.
Thank you for sharing.
There is flesh
in loving you. Ripe
as the joint
between your
legs and your hips. I can smell
your warning from here.
Nettie
I was hooked from the word 'flesh' in your opening line. This is a piece that really immerses the writer in the physicality of your imagination.
Ash