“Map to Love,” #KindKu

Posted on by Colleen M. Chesebro

I can’t help myself. I’ve got to try this KindKu poetry form again from the Auroras & Blossoms Poetry Journal. Click the link to find the challenge #4 writing prompt.

Of course, I’ve combined it with my own Tanka Tuesday challenge where the theme this week is “maps.” Forgive me for not using one of our regular forms.

Here are the KindKu Rules:

The Kindku is a short poem of seven lines and 43 syllables. The syllable pattern is 7 / 5 / 7 / 5 / 7 / 5 / 7 or 5 / 7 / 5 / 7 / 5 / 7 / 5.

The Kindku must include seven words that are taken from one specific source — a poem, a book, a newspaper article, etc. In the case of a book or long piece of writing, those words must come from the same page.

Words must be used in the order they were found. Their placement also depends on the line:

  • Line 1 starts with word 1
  • Line 2 ends with word 2
  • Line 3 starts with word 3
  • Line 4 ends with word 4
  • Line 5 starts with word 5
  • Line 6 ends with word 6
  • Line 7 starts or ends with word 7

Kindku poems can have titles and punctuation. No matter the topic covered, they must sport a positive tone.

Kindku poets are encouraged to credit and link to the inspirations behind their pieces. The theme is from the Rascals – People Got to be Free.

“People Got To Be Free” by The Rascals

All the world over, so easy to see
People everywhere just wanna be free
Listen, please listen, that’s the way it should be
There’s peace in the valley, people got to be free

You should see what a lovely, lovely world this’d be
Everyone learned to live together, ah hah
Seems to me such an itty bitty thing should be
Why can’t you and me learn to love one another?

All the world over, so easy to see
People everywhere just wanna be free (wanna be free)
I can’t understand it, so simple to me
People everywhere just got to be free

If there’s a man who is down and needs a helpin’ hand
All it takes is you to understand and to pull him through, ah hah
Seems to me we got to solve it individually, ah ah
And I’ll do unto you what you do to me
Said, no

Shout it from the mountain on out to the sea
No two ways about it, people have to be free (they gotta be free)
Ask me my opinion, my opinion will be
Natural situation for a man to be free
Get right on board now, huh, huh

Oh, what a feelin’s just come over me
Love can move a mountain, make a blind man see
Everybody sing it now come on let’s go see
Peace in the valley now, we all can be free

See that train over there?
Now that’s the train of freedom
It’s about to ‘rrive any minute, now
You know it’s been’a long, long overdue
Look out ’cause it’s a’comin’ right on through
Ha, ha, yeah

AZLyrics.com

Here are my seven words (from the same line) inspiration: “…can’t understand it, so simple to me…” I chose the  5 / 7 / 5 / 7 / 5 / 7 / 5 form.

Here is the key:

Line 1 starts with word 1: can’t

Line 2 ends with word 2: understand

Line 3 starts with word 3: it

Line 4 ends with word 4: so

Line 5 starts with word 5: simple

Line 6 ends with word 6: to

Line 7 starts or ends with word 7: me

Image by Lorri Lang from Pixabay

Map to Love, #KindKu

can’t you trace my heart
like a map to understand
it sings of journeys
two lovers must explore, so
simple sparks embrace
the future uncharted to
me and you, for life.

©2020 Colleen M. Chesebro

54 thoughts on ““Map to Love,” #KindKu”

  1. This is lovely Colleen, I still don’t quite understand the Kindu disapline, but I don’t need to understand it to see the beauty of your poem. There are a lot of Maps of life being unravelled this week 💜.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It’s a bit complicated but once you see how the words need to work, then it’s just using the words and trying to make sense of it all. Yes, the maps of life are definitely being revealed. 😍

      Like

  6. Thank you very much, Colleen 🌸 🌸 🌸 Interesting, but I find it difficult also. From which country this “Kindku” is originally from? Sounds like Japanese, like Haiku also.

    Liked by 2 people

          1. Yeah, that’s right, Colleen 👍 Actually Cederine Marrouat explained the idea of spreading kindness – and that sounds awesome idea! Love, Peace and Happiness 🕊️ ❤️ I just thought that everything beautiful comes from Japan.
            I’m a little biased, perhaps. 😊 🌸 🌸 🌸

            Liked by 1 person

    2. Hello Anaelle!

      Why would it be a surprising that a person from Canada would invent a Japanese-sounding poetry form? 😉

      David is from the UK, and I live in Canada. But I was born and raised in France. David and I came up with the idea of creating the Kindku to pay homage to Japanese poetry forms like the haiku, and Found Poetry. It’s actually an invitation to spread “kind”ness around with positive poetry.

      Liked by 3 people

      2. Oh, I see^^ I am just a huge fan of Japan, so I think everything beautiful is coming from there 😊 An invitation to spread kindness around – I love that idea 👍 Peace, Love and Happiness 🕊️ ❤️ Thank you for explaining it to me. ✨ ✨ ✨

        Liked by 1 person

  12. This was a lot of fun, Colleen. I liked the song you choose to pick from. I can see it would take some thought putting it all together but it turned out so well.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. So this challenge offers something different every two weeks. You should give it a go. If David or Cendrine contact you, you could be in the next Auroras & Blossoms poetry journal. How exciting! ❤

      Like

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