An Introduction to the Flashku, Hemingku, Kindku, Pareiku, Sepigram, Sixku, and Vardhaku
These forms will inspire you!
An Important Note
All the forms in this post focus on inspiration. Positive / uplifting elements must be included in your pieces. Also, references to nature are encouraged.
THE FLASHKU: POETIC FLASH FICTION
I created the Flashku in 2021. This short piece of flash fiction (50–100 words) is inspired by an image. It contains minimal descriptions and uses seven words borrowed from another piece. The climax should be reached at about 80% through the story, while the ending must contain a positive / inspirational twist or resolution.
Example of Flashku
When they greeted each other, she asked herself if it was love.
Suddenly, the reflection in the puddle was disturbed. "Pitter-patter," said the rain. They smiled.
"The garden is not far. Just at the end of the road," he said, gently inviting her to follow him. Their wanderings together always were a unique source of comfort. So, she jumped over the puddle…
Mesmerized by the crackling fire, she remembered the silence of their first kiss.
And now, a lifetime later, as they looked at each other, she finally knew.
© 2021 Cendrine Marrouat
Flashku inspired by Kahlil Gibran's The Wanderer
THE HEMINGKU
The Hemingku is one of three poetry forms that I co-created with author and poet David Ellis (2022). The word is a portmanteau consisting of the following elements:
- "Heming", taken from the famous writer "Ernest Hemingway", who is known for his six word story prowess and writing a powerful story with a tiny amount of words; and
- "ku", as in 'haiku'.
The idea behind the Hemingku is to allow writers of all sorts (poets, prose / short story writers, novelists, etc.) to create a poem that tells an impactful and inspirational story with a very limited number of words.
A hemingku must be composed in the following format:
- 7 to 10 words picked from two seemingly unrelated sources;
- The words can be spread across a maximum of 4 lines; and
- They must tell a complete story or scenario.
A hemingku poem can have a title (which does not count towards the overall word count) and punctuation. No matter the topic covered, the tone must be uplifting or inspirational. Finally, you must credit and link to the inspirations behind your pieces.
Example of Hemingku
Eden
Eden:
the wild sea
a flower
the hour to dawn.
©2022 Cendrine Marrouat
Hemingku inspired by: Wild nights - Wild nights! (Emily Dickinson) & Nothing Gold Can Stay (Robert Frost).
THE KINDKU
Here is the second form I co-created with David (2020), this time as an invitation to promote kindness, positivity and inspiration through poetry.
The Kindku is a short poem of seven lines. 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 ALSO encouraged to credit and link to the inspirations behind their pieces.
Example of Kindku
Art Writes Itself
Art writes itself in the heart
before other things;
intent lingers for a while
inviting practice,
lost hope to find a new map.
on this continent
you are the only master.
© 2020 Cendrine Marrouat
Kindku inspired by Elizabeth Bishop's One Art
THE PAREIKU
The Pareiku is the third poetry form that I co-created with David (2020).
The word "pareiku" is a combination of two ideas:
- 'pareidolia' - the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern.
- '-ku' - a tribute to Japanese poetry forms like the haiku and tanka.
The Pareiku is a unique type of art that features the visual and poetic elements. Two seemingly unrelated images are linked together as one by a short 19-syllable poem that follows the 7/5/7 syllable pattern.
A Pareiku must have a title, but the punctuation of the poem is optional. The two images can feature the same or different types of visual art (photography, paintings, drawings, sculptures, etc.). However, you must own copyrights or have permission from the artist(s) to use those images. Furthermore, credits are required at the end of your piece.
Pareiku are meant to be positive / inspirational and family-friendly. This means: no erotica and no swear words allowed.
Example of Pareiku
Years ago, we did not know:
even hidden notes
find their way into bird songs.
© 2020 Cendrine Marrouat
THE SEPIGRAM
The Sepigram is a poetry form I invented in 2022. The word is a portmanteau of "seven" + "pi" + "-gram" ('something written' or 'drawing'). The "pi" part refers to the number π (3.14159 rounded up to 3.1416), which is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.
The Sepigram is an unlimited poem that follows a "fractal" (or repetitive) pattern. Each part contains 14 lines and must be divided into 2 stanzas + 1 concluding line. Punctuation and titles are optional.
Part 1:
- L1–1 word
- L2–7 words
- L3–8 words
- L4 - repeat word from L1
- L5–7 words
- L6–8 words
- L7 - repeat word from L1 or use a different word
---
- L8 - repeat word from L1 or use a different word
- L9–7 words
- L10–8 words
- L11 - repeat word from L8
- L12–7 words
- L13–8 words
---
- L. 14: Use seven words from preceding lines (in any order) to make a sentence.
The poem can end here or continue.
Part 2:
- L15 - repeat word from L8
- L16–7 words
- L17–8 words
- L18 - repeat word from L8
- L19–7 words
- L20–8 words
- L21 - repeat word from L8 or use a different word
---
- L22 - repeat word from L15 or use a different word
- L23–7 words
- L24–8 words
- L25 - repeat word from L22
- L26–7 words
- L27–8 words
---
- L. 28: Use seven words from preceding lines (in any order) to make a sentence.
The poem can end here or continue.
NB: As with all my other forms, sepigrams must feature positive / uplifting elements. A reference to nature is encouraged. For example: season, weather, month, time of the day, etc.
Example of Simple Sepigram
Night
came to us in a soft whisper
in the dance of rain at five o'clock.
Night
settled among the embers of our fireplace
like an old friend who knows her place
here.
---
Day
followed quietly when night forgot to look
such an unruly child, we could truly say.
Day
settled in our chairs, bed and kitchen,
bringing smiles on our faces, in our hearts.
Night came, day followed, smiles settled quietly.
© 2022 Cendrine Marrouat
THE SIXKU
The sixku (pronounce 'sis-ku') is a poetry form that I created in 2019.
Sixku are six-word, untitled poems which must be inspired by and contain a photograph. A reference to nature is encouraged.
The Sixku has three lines:
- Line 1 = idea 1 (one or two word(s))
- Line 2 = idea 2 (two or three words)
- Line 3 = twist, surprise (remaining words)
A seventh word is acceptable, only if it is an article or preposition (e.g. 'a', 'the', 'up', 'down'…). Do not abuse this exception, though.
Complete sentences and punctuation are optional and the use of the past tense is allowed.
Example of Sixku
Afternoon shadows;
fluid shapes
are poetry.
© 2020 Cendrine Marrouat
THE VARDHAKU
The Vardhaku is a poetry form I co-invented with writer Justin Smith in 2021, as an invitation to reflect on one's personal growth.
The Vardhaku is a portmanteau word consisting of the following elements:
- "vardha", a Sanskrit word meaning 'the act of increasing, giving increase or prosperity; augmenting; gladdening' or 'cutting, dividing' (Source: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary)
- "ku", as in 'haiku'
The Vardhaku is an expanding five-line poem divided into two parts: The first four lines describe a problem or situation, with the fifth line offering a positive / inspirational resolution. Title and punctuation are optional.
Using a combination of syllables and words, the Vardhaku mainly focuses on conciseness to deliver an impactful message to the reader. It must be composed in one of the following formats:
- 1, 3, 5, 7 words (lines 1–4) / 10 syllables (line 5)
- 1, 3, 5, 7 syllables (lines 1–4) / 10 words (line 5)
- 2, 4, 6, 8 words (lines 1–4) / 11 syllables (line 5)
- 2, 4, 6, 8 syllables (lines 1–4) / 11 words (line 5)
Example of Vardhaku
This
the long hours
the long forgotten
embrace of our yesterday:
we are still swimming in a deep ocean of love.
© 2021 Cendrine Marrouat
I hope you will try one or more of my forms. If you do, don't forget to leave a link in the comment section below. I would love to see your work!
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About the Creator
Cendrine Marrouat
Writer & Author⎜Photographer⎜Artist⎜Co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms / A Warm Mug of Cozy⎜(Co-)creator of literary forms
"The Train: A Short Story" is out!
Website: https://creativeramblings.com
Donations: https://ko-fi.com/cendrineartist
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Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
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Comments (13)
This was beyond creative - I am so impressed by your ability to create (and then write) all of these unique poetry variants!
Very interesting concepts. Definitely deserving of trial runs.
What a view what a thought
My insights aren’t working (it glitches for some reason. Sorry! But I would have ticked every one.) But this is a dream. I want these as a set, a new category! If you feel you may like to read from the ‘Sensational’ Callenge and dedicated to my son Pauline 🌸 https://vocal.media/poets/a-sensory-selection
Some fascinating options in here. Thank you for sharing.
Creative & impressive!!! Love all the uplifting positivity!!!💖💖💕
Good stuff!
Oh, these are all so creative and inspiring! I feel instantly intrigued by the flashku, although I will definitely be checking this out for more ideas! Thank you so much for sharing! 😍
This is very informative and useful with a lot of forms to try, thank you
Okay, I am intrigued...
My favourites are Sepigram and Vardhaku!
Thank you for this, this is very informative. I am going to reshare 🥰
Hi Cendrine! I appreciate the effort you've gone to in defining new forms. Some of these are definitely challenging and potentially fun. I'm a bad poet, in that I don't always follow a given structure, even when I write a rhyming piece. I do often find inspiration in my photos and enjoy exploring forms occasionally, such as writing a tautogram as a diamante, or seeing if I can build a Shakespearian sonnet. Following that line of reasoning, I can see using your ideas as writing prompts.