Aug 23, 2023

Shadorma Verse Form



I knew this form sounded familiar – apparently I shared this back in 2010. *sigh* However, seeing as I’ve already finished my post, and my example is totally different, I’m going ahead with it anyway.

Credit for the invention of the Shadorma is given to James Neill Northe, although I’ve also seen it cited as a Spanish form, so you can take your pick of its origins. But even those who cite it as Spanish admit to a lack of hard evidence for this. At any rate, this is a rather simple, syllable based form.

This form is a hexastich, or verse of six lines and you can have as many, or as few, verses to your poem as you wish. There is no rhyme, but the syllable count is 3-5-3-3-7-5 for a total of 26 syllables. The subject can be anything you wish.

Schematic:

xxx
xxxxx
xxx
xxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxx


Like I said, pretty easy, right? If you think about it, it’s just nine more syllables than a haiku. My examples are a little on the darker side, but that’s just the way they came out.


Darkness

There is a
darkness gathering
seeping in
through the cracks
in reality and I
am sorely afraid.

The darkness
is not just in the
lack of light
but in the
soul as well, and I do not
think the candle’s flame

however
brightly it flickers
can hold back
this darkness
when the shadows of the soul
seethe and curl inside

I do not
know its source nor how
to battle
such a foe
I can only wait it out
and pray for a light.


Anxiety

It strikes me
sans any warning
taking me
unawares
stealing my breath and making
my pulse leap forward

it lingers
in spite of my best
efforts to
hold it back
I breathe, in and
out, slowly
until it is done

with any
luck, no one suspects
that I have
just had an
anxiety attack and
fought it back again.


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