“Midsummer’s Eve Magic,” Chōka-like

Posted on by Colleen M. Chesebro
Artwork credit: Kerfe Roig

Kerfe shared a breathtaking piece of art she created for our Tanka Tuesday challenge this week. I saw so much magic in this piece. The Summer Solstice is right around the corner! Can you feel it?

A note about the chōka form. The nine-line chōka (5-7-5-7-5-7-5-7-7) should be unrhymed… but for whatever reason, the muse demanded words that rhyme. I suspect faery intervention as the good neighbors love to rhyme. That’s why I called it “chōka-like,” or inspired by the chōka syllabic form.

Midsummer’s Eve Magic

on midsummer's eve,
below June's moon glowing bright
gather up fern seeds 
for special sight—this magic 
summons all creatures 
don the cloak of unseen light
hunt buried treasure 
beware of faery spite
run when magic birds take flight

© 2021 Colleen M. Chesebro

Celebrate the Summer Solstice with Fairies, Myths, & Magic: A Summer Celebration

Step into a world where fairies, dragons, and other magical beings converge in a collection of poetry and short stories inspired by the celebration of Litha, the Summer Solstice. Meet Drac, a dragon cursed by his own poisonous deeds, and two pixies who help an old man remember a lost love. You’ll meet a pair of fairies with a sense of humor, and a young girl who fulfills her destiny after being struck by lightning. Learn what happens when a modern witch’s spell goes terribly wrong. Meet the Sisters of the Fey, a group of Slavic Witches who sign a pact with the Rusalki Fey to preserve their magic for the good of all. Atmospheric and haunting, the prose and poetry, will rewrite the mythologies of the past bringing them into the future.

21 thoughts on ““Midsummer’s Eve Magic,” Chōka-like”

    1. Yes. The chōka is available but it doesn’t rhyme. I just couldn’t get the words to work any differently but to rhyme. That’s why I called it chōka-like. ❤️

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