Photo courtesy of Sean Stratton via Unsplash. The following is a contribution to the collection of syllabic-centric entries at Colleen Chesebro’s Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge.
Despite having never tested my hand with an etheree, I’ve been too corrupted by experimenting with polyptychs to ease into the form. The gap is intended to allow the piece to break into multiple readings: a standard etheree, an inverted one, a straight reading, and/or a possible double etheree (if you’re willing to think of one as the consequence of the other). Regardless, read it as you wish and I hope you enjoy any/all of the possibilities.
Ramblings of a Drabbling Mind 
This is brilliant! Orally, Visually. Audibly. Absolutely brilliant.
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Agreed!
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Thank you so very much on all fronts!
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Wow, what a fabulous presentation. You can read this a number of ways which sent thrills up my spine. LOL! Very creative. <3
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Thank you for finding thrills in this. It’s always exciting to know when multiple readings work for anyone. And sorry for the failed attempt to submit it on your site’s form; I thought I’d managed to replicate the layout, but it didn’t hold together. So please dismiss my submission if I failed to cancel it.
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I’ll try to copy your image from your blog. This is amazing!
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I have an idea that may work in your submission form (spacing with underscore lines), if you don’t mind my resubmitting or if that would make it any easier on you. And thank you all the more for your willingness to accept and enjoy this!
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You know, you can just email the information too. I include my email for you to use if the form doesn’t work. Just do that. Easy is good. <3
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I will do just that then, in the hopes of ease.
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[…] Steven O. Young Jr. […]
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This is pretty cool – I love the imagination and innovation!
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Thank you! It’s extraordinarily encouraging to know when these experiments are well-received.
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Oh wow – very brilliant. Love the effect – you chose the perfect breaks in the poem’s phrases!
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Thank you, especially for noting the line breaks. They can be a headache to coordinate, but a worthwhile one knowing the results were enjoyable.
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Very well done combining the two forms of cleave and etheree! Next challenge, to get the two halves to contrast, as in a cleave poem—one side means one thing, the other it’s opposite :)
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Thank you for reading and for the challenge (and for further explanation about cleave poems; I’m not all that familiar with them). I tried to take it up with this week’s prompts, but the two sides probably won’t register in contrasts.
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Your poem is satisfying because you have the constraint of the syllable count, so there’s a symmetry in the shape of it. The cleave usually has a contrast in meaning between the two sides otherwise you end up with three poems all saying the same thing. It’s a difficult one to pull off and I only ever attempt it if I’m feeling masochistic :)
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This is wonderful. Thanks!
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And thank you for finding wonder in this!
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