How to Write a Kindku...

After the Sixku and the Flashku, I am back with a third tutorial. Today, I would like to focus on another poetry form of mine, which I co-created with Poet and Author David Ellis: the Kindku.

Ready? Set! Go!

1. Review the Rules

An invitation to promote kindness, positivity and inspiration through poetry, the Kindku is a short piece 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. Prompt words do not count as source.

Note that the words must be used in the order they were found in the source text. 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. You should also credit and link to the inspirations behind your pieces.

2. Select Your Source Text

Here is a short list of places where you can find a great piece to inspire your kindku:

• Your favorite books;
• Newspaper / magazine articles;
• Your local library;
• Project Gutenberg — Free books in the Public Domain;
• Internet Archive — A non-profit library featuring millions of free books, movies, and more;
• Poetry Foundation — Over 40,000 poems written by contemporary and classic writers available for public viewing;
• Medium or Vocal — Use the Search feature to uncover poems and stories that could inspire your kindku.

3. Write Your Kindku

Now that you have found your source, time to get writing.

Remember that the seven words must be used in the order they appear in the source text. Word 1 must also be the first word of your poem. So, choose it carefully.

I would recommend not picking the other six words in advance. Instead, incorporate them as you write. Your kindku will be easier to write and flow more naturally as a result.

Here are a few examples 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 poem "One Art"

There Is Always Us

Waves often gather

where silence needs time alone;

brief are their voices

and yet their words do linger,

keep reminding us

that even in fierce storms

love knows how to live.

© 2020 Cendrine Marrouat

Kindku inspired by Alphonse de Lamartine’s poem "The Lake"

For more examples, click below:

4. Edit

A good kindku should always aim to inspire readers and leave you with a sense of satisfaction. So polishing your piece is very important. Here are some tools to help you:

• GrammarBook.com — grammar rules
• SpellCheck.net — free online spell checker
• Common Errors in English
• Wikipedia: Lists of common misspellings
• Thesaurus.com — find the best synonyms and antonyms

5. Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

Be a good blogger and social media citizen. Give credit where credit is due. Include the following information under your kindku: “Kindku inspired by (author’s name) and (title of work)”. You may also link to the website where the source text can be found.

If your kindku was inspired by a contemporary piece, why not tag its author on social media? It’s a great way to show support for other writers and build great relationships with them.

Last but not least, include a copyright notice at the end of your poem. Something like “© 2022 (your name)” works best.

See more of my forms below:

That's it for today! Thank you for reading.

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Cendrine Marrouat is a writer, photographer, podcaster, blogger, anthology editor, and the co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms and A Warm Cup of Cozy. She has authored and co-authored more than 40 books, including The Train: A Short Story (2023), In Her Own Words: A Collection of Short Stories & Flashku (2022), After the Fires of Day: Haiku Inspired by Kahlil Gibran & Alphonse de Lamartine (2021), Rhythm Flourishing: A Collection of Kindku and Sixku (2020), Walks: A Collection of Haiku (2019-2020), and In the Silence of Words: A Three-Act Play (2018).

Cendrine's work has appeared in many publications. She is the creator of the Sixku, Flashku, Sepigram, and Reminigram; as well as the co-creator of the Kindku, Pareiku, Vardhaku, and Hemingku.