June 1st is a pivotal day for me with my group #ProjectDFC starting to transition from May Mixup Madness (MMM) to Jubilant Japanese June (JJJ), our newest in a series of challenges and contests set up to make you cry and laugh with both frustration and excitement!

Ok!

Jubilant Japanese June is essentially a celebration of the beauty of Japanese poetry and all that it brings us. There are many forms created and cherished by the Japanese culture and I believe that we should explore them all. This month. RIGHT NOW .

There are three challenges this June.

The first is merely to complete at least one of the following forms:


Choka

A choka literally means 'long poem' and features alternating syllabic lines of 5 and 7 where the last two lines are both 7. The minimum amount of lines is seven and this form allows for infinite amounts of lines. The minimum (7 lines) sequence is: 5 - 7 - 5 - 7 - 5 - 7 - 7

Example Choka by *kiwi-damnation

Her breath, a soft breeze,
A spirit of peace, tranquil,
Still and silently,
A small touch enveloping,
The world of closets
Fears amassed thus dissipate
Revealing worlds - her domain.


Dodoitsu

The Dodoitsu is a folk song form and it is primarily about love or humour. It features 4 lines of 7,7,7,5 syllables respectively.

DFC Day 6 Dodoitsu by ~MaiSala

Music softens hardened hearts;
emotions run swiftly through
the soul, uplifted by joy
and deepest sorrow.

Haiku

A haiku is a Japanese style of poetry that has 3 lines with syllabic counts 5, 7,5 and are usually seasonal or about nature.

Below is an example about winter.

<a title="Haiku awesomeness" href=" [link]
m/art/White-Winter-107577004
"> White Winter by ~Deathscythe1991

Ice smothers the earth,
purifying the landscape,
white flakes of the sky.

Sedoka

The Sedoka centres around the idea of Questions and Answers. The syllabic count is that of haiku (5,7,5) and there are 6 lines, 3 in each stanza. The content can be of any theme but one must question or mention something in the first, and then either contradict or answer in the second. It's all about leaving you guessing and making people think.

The Medal by *kiwi-damnation

What is a struggle?
But an old tarnished medal,
Of times that are past.

Yet though they have passed,
Who would you be without them?
Life would mean nothing

Senryu

This form is quite similar to the haiku. The main difference is thesubject matter. A senryu is written about human nature and the human world in general whereas haikus refer to nature and are completely removed from the human experience. Classically, the senryu features 3 lines of 5,7,5 syllables respectively.

<a title="Senryu awesomeness" href=" [link]
"> Pathetique by *Parsat

love's third movement plays
memories in c minor
Pathétique romance

Tanka

The tanka is a form meaning 'short poem' and it is made up of five lines with the syllabic count 5-7-5-7-7. They are usually written with great emotional depth.

<a title="Tanka awesomeness" href="[link]
"> DFC: The Dance by ~Lacklusterious

The lovers entombed
Waltz over the earthbound stars
There shines most graceful
The absence of warmth one finds
In the land of the living.


The second challenge is a Mondo challenge. This is separate as the Mondo, whilst similar to the Sedoka, has to be written by two different authors. It features 2 stanzas of katuata (5,7,5) with the first asking a question and the second answering it. Pick a partner and create!

Example (^NicSwaner and =TwilightPoetess)

'When are dandelions in
focus if not on
the blur of the wind?

When the sunlight—breaking free—
falls on the dandelions
growing around your heart'.

(taken from <a title="Mondo Grove" href=" [link]
">this journal )


The third challenge  of Jubilant Japanese June is a dA-wide Renga challenge . I will gather a list of people who would like to participate and we each write a small piece of one large continuous Japanese poem.

The renga means 'linked poem' and it comprises of little links written by different authors. It features alternating syllabic line counts of 5-7-5 (hokku) and 7-7. The 3-line stanza is an idea to be explored and the 2-line stanza succeeding starts a new thought but is somewhat linked to the stanza before it.

It is an amazing journey of writing and I think it would bring a lot of joy to us all to at least create a 20 stanza renga. If more people want to join in, I will open it up to being larger. Please note #ProjectDFC if you want to participate.

1. *kiwi-damnation
2. ~Lacklusterious
3. ~MadPrinceFeanor
4. ~reflectionsinwater
5. ^neurotype
6. ~silvernium
7. ~ThomasInTheClouds
8. *Parsat
9. *ninquetari
10. ~YalMoon
11. ~Selimeia
12. =TwilightPoetess
13. =Sammur-amat
14. ~MysticKenji
15. `MagicalJoey
16. ~therootcellar
17. =DrippingWords
18. *TheDorsai
19. *LaBruyere
20. *parchmentgirl
21. *bloodawni
22.
23.
24.
25.


JJJ runs from June 1st 12am GMT to July 1st 12am GMT.

We request that you do send us a note of any entries you create so that we can put them in our super special folder . That way, you can be part of a group creating rather than a solo artist.  

Submit your part of the renga (once it begins) by note to #ProjectDFC. It will be placed in this journal as it progresses.

With the Mondo challenge, both authors please submit it as a piece to our folder for equal and fair credit.

There are no prizes, just a fun little challenge to complete. I hope you get on board because there is nothing like working with a form to both inspire and incense you.


Renga

Will you lie with me?
Clasp my hand; let bitterness                          *kiwi-damnation
die with yesterday

While our skin catches the sun,                        ~Lacklusterious
I am caught within your eyes.

Like the butterfly
trapped within a net, I lie                                ~MadPrinceFeanor
tangled in your hair

a Van Gogh rolling meadow,                             ~reflectionsinwater
Radiantly swirling my heart.

darkness creeps into
the edges of your brushstrokes,                       ^neurotype
clumps of stars go out

you tell me stories of time,                               ~silvernium
a re-birth of each moment.

Now moonlight glistens
atop you. Honeycombed words                        ~ThomasInTheClouds
drip from your soft lips.

The inkwell's deep. Down we plunge                 *Parsat
Through viscous charcoal secrets

Time is measured by
silence between destructive,                            *ninquetari
sacred memories

Out of them we fall in white,
Star-tunes written on our souls                         ~YalMoon

Up in the night sky
Sweet melody memories                                ~Selimeia
That keep us alive

Constellations lighting up                                =TwilightPoetess
like beacons leading to you

Andromeda's tears
pour into your heart-shaped palms                  =Sammur-amat
and the oil-slicked streets