The ronka poem is an invented form. At the close of 2013, I decided to start a daily poetry practice for 2014. One poem each day.
I considered existing short forms because I knew I would need the discipline of form, and I didn’t want to be overly ambitious and court failure. A sonnet or villanelle each day? Doomed.
I considered haiku, tanka, sedoka and others but finally decided to invent my own form.
The ronka is composed of 5 lines, each having 7 words without concern for syllables. No rhyme. An observation of the day, either inside, outside or internal.
Inspirations: The early morning writing practice of William Stafford.
During 2014, I succeeded in writing a ronka each day. The daily practice ended, but I continue to write ronkas on a pretty steady weekly basis.
There are a few others who have tried the ronka. If you try it yourself, post the result as a comment here.
read all posts about the ronka form
Writing the Day 