day 30

Kimo is a post-Haiku poetic form , consisting of three lines of 10, 7, and 6 syllables. This form of poetry was invented in Israel.

Kimo style:

The poetry challenge was hard but fun
Trying new styles of poems
And having fun with it.

ten things tuesday

Ten random things:

1) I'm currently covering a colleague's class. That means I've given up my planning period. No time without students. A reminder why I don't like freshmen. Maybe I resent this

2) Trying six types of poetry made the Poetry Challenge more interesting. I tried Kimo, Tanka, Senryu, Cinquain, Lune, free verse, and Haiku.

3) I cast on for my first sweater last night. I did a swatch and came out with perfect gauge! I almost finished the neck part, then it's time to switch from a circular needle to double points. I love the yarn I ordered for it. And I picked up a project I stalled out on in December, to alternate with the sweater.

4) I think I've finally accepted that I am not in therapy anymore. I don't have a therapist. I don't need a therapist.

5) Watching the movie Glory with my history classes. I've seen this movie probably eighty times during the course of my career. And yet, I am drawn into it every time.

6) It's hard not to hit panic mode about the AP Psych test. I've done the very best I could do teaching the class. I keep telling myself that. Yet I feel like such a failure for not preparing the students better for the exam. There is always better. I gave them solid strategies and materials, though, and we are preparing in class. I'm terrified. I do have goodie bags put together for them--I'll have to take a picture of the goodie bags.

7) Have I lamented that I'm out of Reese's eggs? I don't have any candy! I might get some licorice. I don't have any chocolate in my desk at school, either. My emergency supply is out!

8) I am so excited to start wearing my snazzy sandals and capri pants, and walking shorts, skorts, and summery clothes! I really thought I would go nuts if I had to wear corduroys one more day. One of my students complimented my clothes the other day. She was complimentary about my whole wardrobe--she loved my outfits and how I don't repeat. That made my day.

9) It's getting closer to my eldest niece's wedding. I am so excited! She's such a beautiful girl and is so special to me. And her fiance is a really good guy. The road trip will be an epic adventure, I'm sure. But it will be wonderful to have the whole family together. For a happy, joyous occasion.

10)

musing mondays

Click here to play along.

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying about it.
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

I am reading a funny book called Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. It shifts back and forth in time, laying out the overlapping stories. But it's so amusing, I find myself chuckling while I'm reading.

day 29

The Japanese tanka is a thirty-one-syllable poem, traditionally written in a single unbroken line. A form of waka, Japanese song or verse, tanka translates as "short song," and is better known in its five-line, 5/7/5/7/7 syllable count form. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5793#sthash.zUmJmz1r.dpuf

Tanka style:

After the big test
Watching the movie Glory
Is almost a treat
With an assignment to write
The ultimate film review.

day 28

Lune style: The lune is an American form of poetry similar to the haiku: thirteen syllables are arranged in 5/3/5 format, five syllables in the first line, three syllables in the second, and five in the third.

Country drive Sunday
Perfect day
Spring has arrived here.

sunday stealing

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Sunday Stealing: The Wish List Meme

1.) What are 3 things on your Wish list and why? yarn, books, and shoes: for projects, for fun, and for the upcoming wedding

2.) What do you miss about your childhood? not being responsible for everything

3.) What do you do on your spare time on the weekends? nap and knit

4.) What do you appreciate most in your life? independence

5.) Would you rather be rich or healthy? healthy

6.) If you could go back in time would you and why? I wouldn't

7.) Favorite game as a child? Payday

8.) What is your dream career? something in education

9.) What do you do in your free time? read and knit

10.) Favorite clothing stores? CJ Banks and Land's End

11.) What TV shows can't you live without? Watch What Happens Live

12.) 3 things you need in your life are: coffee, friends, vacation

13.) What can't you sleep without? pillows

14.) What are you currently a nerd for? The Following or Downton Abbey

15.) What is your favorite seasoning? lemon pepper

16.) What is your favorite wild animal? giraffe

17.) Name 3 of your favorite childhood shows: Fat Albert, The Monkees, The Brady Bunch

18.) If you could live as a character in a movie who would it be? Erika Barry in Something's Gotta Give

19.) Favorite vegetable? potatoes

20.) Favorite Fruit? pineapple and pomegranate

21.) If you had a dragon what would you name it? Floyd

22.) What do you put on hotdogs? ketchup, relish, mustard

23.) Do you play online games? not anymore

24.) What's your favorite way to get inspired? looking at quotes on Pinterest

25.) Do you have a middle name? Faye

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

wistful...

Meryl Streep never ceases to amaze me. She and Tommy Lee Jones are artfully cast in this wistful film. It's nice to see Steve Carell stretch his acting abilities, too. Such a long time since I've been captivated by a soundtrack, but the music enhanced the film. The acting, though, is so good.

day 27

The lune is an American form of poetry similar to the haiku. A variation of the lune is to count the words: three words in the first line; five words in the second line; three words in the third line.

Coffee all day
What a great, lazy day
Weekends are fun!

I want this dog.

saturday 9

Twist and Shout

1) In the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Ferris climbs up on a parade float and enthusiastically lip synchs this song, encouraging the entire crowd to join in. Do you know the lyrics of "Twist and Shout" well enough to sing along? (Watch the impossibly young Matthew Broderick as Ferris here.) to sing along, yes, to lead the crowd--probably not

2) What other Beatles' song do you know all the words to? the red and blue albums

3) 49 years after their American debut, The Beatles are acknowledged as having a lasting impact on both music and culture. What performers on today's music scene do you think will be remembered 50 years from now? I'm trying to think of someone who is a prolific songwriter as well as a performer and I can see faces but can't think of names.

4) Paul McCartney is an enthusiastic advocate of the vegetarian lifestyle. Could you/have you tried to "go veggie?" I was a veggie for quite a few years

5) As a young boy, Ringo Starr suffered a severe attack of appendicitis and almost died. Do you still have your appendix? What about your tonsils? yes, I have both my appendix and tonsils

6) John Lennon sketched and doodled when he was bored or nervous. Do you have any nervous habits? I'm sure I do but I'm unaware of them

7) George Harrison loved Hawaii so much he bought a 63-acre estate in Maui. Have you ever visited our 50th state? sadly, not yet

8) Yoko Ono was a polarizing character in the Beatles' saga. Has any of your friends ever dated/married someone you just could not stand? oh, yes

9) Paul has had dogs his entire adult life, including a sheepdog, Martha, and a black lab, Jet. John was especially fond of a cat named Elvis and a tomcat he found in the snow and named Tim. Tell us about one of your pets. I have a variety of dust bunnies, they do not have names.

day 26

Senryu (like a haiku, but about human behavior):

Friday: yes, yes, yes!
The weekend: yes, yes, yes, yes!
Here's to relaxing!

friday 5

Play

1. What was the last play you saw? I saw my friend John Cariani's play Love/Sick last week

2. What kind of experience have you had as a performer in plays? I grew up in a theater family. My first role was Gretel in The Sound Of Music and I continued on until college, when I realized I would much rather produce and direct than be on stage.

3. In general, what kinds of plays most turn you on? good ones

4. There are many movies* where the characters say, “Let’s put on a play,” often as a means for raising funds or bringing attention to some cause. If you and your friends decided to do that, what would be the play, who would be its star, and what role would you play in its production? it would be a musical or something very well known to draw a crowd

5. If I handed you a lump of Play-Doh right now and asked you to sculpt me something, what would it be? a snake, I love rolling Play-Doh

* Babes in Arms and Babes on Broadway, both starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, leap to mind. See them if you already haven’t!

mustache day

I don't remember where the idea came from, but my students and I have been talking about having a Mustache Day for months. Well, I finally did it! I cropped this photo to take my student out, but he is also proudly sporting a mustache. They'll remember how much fun we had with the mustaches more than they'll remember what we did in class today. But sometimes you've gotta have fun.

thursday bug

Sometimes it helps to share with others what bugs your mind.

They may have a solution, a kind word, or a smile of encouragement.

This week my thursday bug is:

Eating the season's last Reese's Easter Eggs.

day 25

Free verse is an open form of poetry not concerned with consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any other musical pattern. It tends to mirror natural speech.

Students milling about
After finishing their assignment
Sometimes they forget I'm here, or that I'm their teacher,
And the conversations border the inappropriate.

But they're talking on topic
They had to create an instruction manual called
"Surviving Adolescence."

Snippets here and there
Rowdy laughs.
I love this class.

day 24

Lune style: The lune is an American form of poetry similar to the haiku: thirteen syllables are arranged in 5/3/5 format, five syllables in the first line, three syllables in the second, and five in the third.

Still bummed out
No tattoo
But soon I'll get one.

w.w.w. wednesday

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading? I'm listening to Carol Burnett's This Time Together and I started reading Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. I am loving both books!

• What did you recently finish reading? I finished listening to Caroline Manzo's Let Me Tell You Something.

• What do you think you’ll read next? Next up is: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan.

ten things tuesday

Ten things:

1) I mentioned yesterday that I can hear my neighbor's sneezes. I need to explain that my apartment is in an old house that was converted into apartments. So, yeah, I can hear my neighbors. I will add, though, that my neighbor is a loud and enthusiastic sneezer.

2) Two days back at school and I'm wiped out.

3) I met with the principal after school today to go over my year-end evaluation. I was quite pleased with it, but I had a couple of questions about how I can move from "meets" to "exceeds" in a couple categories. It was a good conversation. And I think my asking him made him aware that the evaluation might be a bit off.

4) I worked on strategy with my AP Psych class today. How to prep for the exam. Unfortunately, the exam is the first day of testing.

5) The AP Institute let me know that single rooms are no longer available. I told them I was going to request one anyhow. I don't know how I'll do with a roommate. Especially a stranger.

6) Tomorrow is the first Wednesday library board meeting. I'm so glad we were able to move the day.

7) I have to remember to pick up my soup and supper from the Studio Cafe.

8)

 

9) Michael Bublé's new album dropped today.

10) I think I'm going to do a May Challenge. Haven't decided if it's going to be a photo or a blog challenge.

day 23

Cinquain style:

Books
spell-binding
intriguing, enthralling, and entertaining
never a dull moment
reader

achoo

Every time my neighbor sneezes I want to bless him. He's an enthusiastic sneezer. And frequent.

day 22

Tanka style:

Back in the saddle
Vacation went way too fast
It was a good time
Not to say today was bad,
I could use some more down time

musing mondays

Click here to play along.

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying about it.
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

I'm excited about my reading group for May. We each chose our own biography, autobiography, or memoir, and will share our books. What makes me excited is that our group is so diverse that it will be fun to find out what everyone else is reading. I've listened to three books in the past week that would fit, as well as my current listen: This Time Together by Carol Burnett.

day 21

Kimo is a post-Haiku poetic form , consisting of three lines of 10, 7, and 6 syllables. This form of poetry was invented in Israel.

Kimo style:

I can't believe vacation is over!
It was full of adventure
But not enough down time.

sunday stealing

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Sunday Stealing: The Unlucky 13 Meme

1. On average, how long does it take you to get ready for work/school/a day or night out? forty-five minutes

2. If you could ask your favorite author one question about the book(s) they wrote, what would it be? I would want to find out if the book unfolded or if it was all planned out

3. What do you think is the hardest thing about growing up? being true to myself

4. Who would you rather switch places with for a day: your favorite celebrity, or your favorite fictional character? I really can't decide which character to choose but I'd choose a fictional character

5. Who would you rather have point out a flaw that you weren't aware you had: a close personal friend, or a total stranger? a total stranger

6. Do you get jealous easily? If so, what sorts of qualities or characteristics in other people are you most likely to be jealous of? I don't get jealous often and I can't remember the last time I was

7. Which version of yourself would you rather have a conversation with: the one from ten years ago, or the one you turn into ten years from now? ten years ago

8. Were you ever bullied in any way as a child? If so, how has it shaped you today? I was bullied and it made me struggle with shame for most of my life

9. What is one fear you would like to overcome in your lifetime? fear of financial ruin

10. What is one food you haven't tried yet that you would like to? roasted brussel sprouts

11. Is it easier to forgive someone for the wrong they've done you or to seek forgiveness from someone that you've wronged in any way? it is easier to forgive

12. Let’s go random: What did you do for New Year’s Eve for the turn of the millennium? I went to a kickass party with a lot of my friends and we sang karoake

13. What else around here have you noticed? uhm... I need to work on the clutter again, as always

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

finished...

The Bravo Housewives' series are my guilty pleasures. And Caroline Manzo is my favorite! So I was excited to listen to her book. It was like a long coffee chat with Caroline as she shared family stories and life lessons learned. A couple of times I thought Caroline sounded stilted, like it didn't flow smoothly, but I enjoyed what she was talking about so much it overshadowed it.

day 20

Senryu (like a haiku, but about human behavior):

Been a busy day
The season's first pedicure
Matching manicure!

celebrate

saturday 9

I Don't Want To Talk About It

1) Crazy Sam is beyond sick of all things Kardashian! What's a topic you're just tired of and don't want to talk about anymore? Obama-bashing. I'm tired of people blaming the President for all the ills in politics.

2) Rod Stewart has been recording for more than 40 years. Do you have any of his music on your iPod/mp3 player? I have his Christmas album, released in 2012

3) Rod Stewart is known for his coif. How much time do you spend on your hair each morning? as little as possible... three minutes, maybe?

4) Rod's first child, a daughter, will turn 50 this year. His most recent child, also a daughter, is 2. How close in age are your children? If you don't have any children, how close in age are you and your siblings? If you don't have children OR siblings, well, tell us what's immediately to your left as you respond to this meme. If you don't have anything to your left ... Oh, hell, I give up! my sisters and I are two years apart

5) Which do you prefer -- french toast or pancakes? depends on what meal it is--brunch = french toast, supper = pancakes

6) When was the last time you lost your cool? it's been a really long time

7) Crazy Sam once had a pet hamster she named Bart. Have you ever cared for a hamster or a gerbil? no, they freak me out

8) Are you ticklish? I am an angry ticklish person--I do not enjoy being tickled and have angry/violent reactions

9) Ouch! You have a headache! What's your go-to remedy? a pain reliever--tylenol preferably

day 19

Lune style: The lune is an American form of poetry similar to the haiku: thirteen syllables are arranged in 5/3/5 format, five syllables in the first line, three syllables in the second, and five in the third.

Made up for lost time
By yakking
The whole day away!

what's your spirit animal?

You Are a Bear

Like a bear, you are strong and confident. You don't second guess or doubt yourself. You are tough in the face of adversity. If anything, having a challenge sharpens your mind and senses. You are born to lead, and you have no trouble taking action when the time is right. You are very proactive. You are rough when you need to be, but you are rarely hard on those in your life. You are a caretaker. You know a lot about healing and emphasize its importance. You know how to heal yourself and others. You take a lot of time for quiet, solitude, and rest. You don't exert yourself unless it's necessary.

What's Your Spirit Animal?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

thursday bug

Sometimes it helps to share with others what bugs your mind.

They may have a solution, a kind word, or a smile of encouragement.

This week my thursday bug is:

I saw a kite caught in a tree and it made me sad. Why don't people fly kites anymore?

day 18

Senryu (like a haiku, but about human behavior):

I am not used to
Staying up till the wee hours
Talking all night long

the play's the thing...

My friend's play was fantastic! I really knew those characters. And the acting was great. After the show, John invited me to hang out with him and the cast so we went to this little hole in the wall dive and sat and yakked. I haven't been around a theater crowd for many years but I slipped into the rhythms of storytelling like an old, soft sweater.

It was definitely worth the trip!

day 17

Kimo is a post-Haiku poetic form , consisting of three lines of 10, 7, and 6 syllables. This form of poetry was invented in Israel.

Kimo style:

Holy Shit! I can spend lots of money
On nice clothes and on good yarn
Now it's time for a nap.

lovingly titled...

Why I'm Still In Bed at 9:30 Wednesday Morning.

w.w.w. wednesday

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading? I'm listening to Caroline Manzo's Let Me Tell You Something and I started reading Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

• What did you recently finish reading? I finished listening to Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson. I also listened to two shorter audio books: Betty White's If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't) and Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) I finished Life After Life by Kate Atkinson last night.

• What do you think you’ll read next? Next up is: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan.

finished two audio books

I listened to two more audiobooks. Both women of comedy. It was so much fun to listen to these women at different points in their careers. Betty White was a little on the preachy side, I get that she's an animal lover. Mindy Kaling was like a conversation. I feel like we're friends.

finished reading

I could not put this book down. Could. Not. Stop. Reading!

From the publisher:

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war.

Does Ursula's apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can -- will she?

day 16

Kimo is a post-Haiku poetic form , consisting of three lines of 10, 7, and 6 syllables. This form of poetry was invented in Israel.

Kimo style:

I'm nervous in Downtown Portland traffic
One way streets and all up hill
Here, there, and everywhere!

ten things tuesday

1) Outside my hotel window is a flag at half-mast. My heart is saddened that something as benign as the Boston Marathon would become a target for hate.

2) I'm sitting in my hotel, after journeying all day to get to Portland, and relaxing before I figure out where to go and what to do next. I just need to eat some Pringles and have a nice glass of water (both of which I packed and I have no idea why I wanted Pringles).

3) I tripped in my hotel room--a face plant and an ankle twist. I was going to get a tattoo tomorrow but my ankle is all sore and ugly looking, so I called to cancel. I feel like such a doofus. But, it's not a serious twist and I didn't break my glasses. Nor did I break my fall, so my arms are all right.

4) This hotel isn't swanky. It's not as nice as I had hoped. But for $50/night I won't complain. Except about the incredibly scratchy toilet paper and tissues. Eww! I miss my Charmin and Puffs.

5) Tomorrow I'm going to the state's biggest yarn shop.

6) I was chased by deer this morning. It all happened so fast, I didn't even think about how to react. I know there were more than four.

7) I'm excited to see John and his play. I hope we get a chance to go out after.

8) Have I whined about not really liking Portland traffic? I'm especially leery about driving at night. It's all one-way or narrow streets and everyone goes fast. There's no opportunity to rubberneck or figure out where I'm going or what I'm doing. And I have to turn the radio off so I can concentrate.

9) My therapist had a celebration for me this morning. Because we are done all the work we can do together. In my head, I say my therapist broke up with me, but that's kind of melodramatic. And I'm not disagreeing with her. I have made leaps and bounds over the past few years. My whole attitude and outlook has shifted and I've grown. It feels weird to think that I am not in therapy anymore. But in four months, we're having a breakfast appointment and we are going to test the waters of continuing our relationship outside the bounds of her practice. She has a mentor guiding her for this, too, because I'm the first client she's had that she wants to continue having a relationship with outside the practice. Which confirms what I've said all along about our fit. We were a good fit. A great team. And if it's weird, we won't continue. But if it's not weird, we'll continue. Much like The Breakfast Club--my old group therapy group that gets together monthly for breakfast. Just without the therapy.

10) I can't decide if I feel up to going out to eat by myself or if I want to order room service. I kind of want to hole up here and just stay in. But that feels like a cop out. But who cares, other than me? And why am I even having this conversation in my head? Believe me, there's more internal monologue going on. Much more.

day 15

Lune style: The lune is an American form of poetry similar to the haiku.

Tuesday in Portland
It's tattoo time, I hope
I'm on vacation!!!

musing monday

Click here to play along.

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying about it.
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

A bookish rant: When I'm out and about and come across someone reading in public, I wonder what they're reading and that's about it. It seems when I'm the one reading in public, I invite people to interrupt me. With questions about my Nook ("Is that a Kindle?"), asking what I'm reading, complaining about how they don't enjoy reading... you get the drift. This happened today at the laundromat. I wanted to politely tell the person to buzz off, but I answered them. Especially the part about not enjoying reading--I answered that they haven't found the right books.

day 14

Senryu (like a haiku, but about human behavior):

Making plans is hard
When our schedules are busy
Will I see my friend?

finished reading...

I loved listening to Jenny telling her stories. I don't think I would have enjoyed this as much in written form. There were a few times I forgot this wasn't fiction. An enjoyable book, entertaining!

What I didn't like was that the stories skip around through time. It was hard to keep track of when and how the stories unfolded. But in the end, that wasn't terribly important.

Oh, and be forewarned: there is liberal use of the f-bomb. And there's something funny about how Jenny says "vagina."

sunday stealing

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Sunday Stealing: The "What's Your Story" Meme

1. What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten in public? I don't know... shark?

2. If you had to go on an adventure, with elves, dwarves, or hobbits, who would you take and why? I would go with elves because they're magical

3. You are at a rural retreat lodge somewhere deep in Wisconsin or Canada. You are approached by a taxidermist who hands you a stuffed badger and asks you to put it in your lap. What do you do next? go along with it?

4. If you were given biscotti, would you prefer it with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate? depends on the flavor of the biscotti

5. In your opinion, who is the funniest man or woman alive today Chris Rock

6. If you were given thirty seconds on television to say something, what would it be? it's time to get real about bipartisanship

7. What is your idea of the most romantic date setting ever? one of my favorite dates was a breakfast picnic

8. If you could go on one date with a movie or television star, who would it be and why? George Clooney because he's not just a handsome face--I'd love to talk politics and family stories with him

9. What is the worst song you have ever heard? I'm going to go with the Chipmunk's "Christmas Song" or "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer"

10. If you could live anywhere else, where would it be? Ireland

11. Who- in your opinion- was the greatest person to ever live? Thomas Jefferson

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

day 13

Kimo is a post-Haiku poetic form , consisting of three lines of 10, 7, and 6 syllables. This form of poetry was invented in Israel.

Kimo style:

April morning with three inches of snow
What is up with this weather?
Spring better come this week!