Featuring cherita!


April 7, 2017

Poetry Friday--Try Something New

Photo courtesy DCPL Commons.

I recently came upon mention of someone writing cherita. I had never heard of a cherita and so, I went looking to learn more. (Cherita is pronounced CHAIR-rita, it is both singular and plural, and, it put me in mind of cherries, thus the photo.)

It turns out that a cherita is an unrhymed, untitled, poem that tells a story in 3 verses. Verse 1 is one line, verse 2 is two lines, verse 3 is three lines. Click here for more on the form and examples. The best way to learn about any form is to read examples.

I figured I'd give the cherita a try. I realize I will have to do a lot more reading before I feel confident I've got it right, but this is a start:

first spring day

with the window open
the sound of helicopters

her keyboard clicks
in counterpoint
...searching



project winds down

three days for review
then off it goes

not nearly enough
carbs in the cupboard
to see me through



face still flushed

a resumé book disappears
from the library

she earns 79 cents
to HIS dollar--
they share an office

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

Has anyone else tried writing cherita? How did it go?

Irene at Live Your Poem is our Round-Up hostess this week!

33 comments:

  1. Diane- this form is new to me, but your wonderful poems have inspired me to give it a try. I'm going to take a look at your link to more examples. Thanks for introducing me to this form!

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  2. I'd never heard of cherita before, either. I honestly had no idea how varied and complex the world of poetry could be before participating in Poetry Friday. You've inspired me to try something new, too!

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    1. You're absolutely right, the poetry world is very varied and complex, and always ready to surprise us.

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    2. I just want to say "Amen!" to Jane's comment. :-) I've learned so much! (And now a new form to play with -- thanks!)

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  3. I'd never heard of this either, but you did a wonderful job with these. I'm intrigued.

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    1. I had second thoughts about this post since I'm afraid I might have misunderstood the form and what is "right." Like the second cherita--is it okay to write the story in the first person?

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  4. Ooooh cherita... even the word is delicious! You've done a fabulous job here. It's new to me. I will try it! Thank you, Diane! (and now I am wondering what pics you would put with these cheritas...) xo

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    1. I don't know that these are illustratable. The first one is all about the sound and doesn't translate well to pictures.

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  5. Nice to learn about a new poetic form, Diane. Love your attempts; each immerses me in its story and makes me want to know more. Cherita sounds like a cherry margarita. :)

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  6. New to me too, and it was nice to learn that the word means "stories", Diane. You have told a story in each. That middle one offers a big smile.

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    1. It's not easy telling a story in 6 little lines. I enjoyed the challenge.

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  7. Thank you for introducing a new form of poetry to me. It sounds intriguing enough to try. I enjoyed your examples.

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    1. Please try, I'd like to see how others approach it.

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  8. Thanks for sharing this... a new form to me. Your "firsts" look good to me! You inspired me to read more... and I think I will enjoy writing with this form. I like its anecdotal nature and that it can be written by three partners --perfect for classroom writing!

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    1. That would be an awesome classroom project! Or, you could provide the first line, which sets the scene, and then see where the kids take it.

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  9. Very interesting! I will put this on my list to try.

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  10. New form - which tempts me. Partly because I love the brevity. And you do it so well. Almost caustic wit. That last one is a cracker! The final line makes it!

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    1. Thanks, Kat! Brevity is my favorite feature.

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  11. I love learning about new poetry forms. Thanks! I reach for carbs, too, when I'm working on writing. I must give this form a try.

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  12. I'm not surprised this form would appeal to you, it definitely has that Japanese short form vibe. Enjoyed your examples and I'm going to try it out! Thanks!

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  13. Interesting. Thank you! I like that this derivative form of haiku and tanka does away with counting syllables. I think you've captured the spirit well (especially in the resumé / office piece).

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    1. Yup! I didn't count at all, except for the number of lines!

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  14. Love these wee stories, Diane! I hope you share more in the future.
    You've inspired me to give them a try. Thanks!

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    1. I have an illustrated one for Happy Haiga Day! on Sunday.

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  15. I think I've seen this form, but never knew it had an official name...thanks for sharing, I'll need to tackle this sometime!

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  16. I love the storytelling element of this form. Thank you for sharing!

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  17. I, too, haven't heard of this form, but I am intrigued. Thanks for the introduction and sharing your attempts, Diane. I especially like the lines:
    "not nearly enough
    carbs in the cupboard
    to see me through" - amen, sister! =)

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