#poem, «Pumpkin» (An Euro-Ku)

Within the pumpkin there’s a carriage, there’s a horse and there’s a driver,

there’s a road that forms before her golden wheels,

and a part of you believes it still…

C.2025, Francisco Bravo Cabrera/25 FEB 2025/Valencia, España

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Nota Bene

Reality is not what we see, or what we hear, or what we have been told. On the contrary, reality is a concept that denies the fact that within our imagination there are worlds that are just a few centimetres away from our natural existence but since we have been taught to deny them we do not reach them. However, too much fantasy can lead to a life of mere illusions that are just limiting as the reality we have been taught to respect, obey and see…

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The style of the Euro-Ku (and Ameri-Ku) I invented and developed in 2022 while trying to write a meaningful Haiku. But it was impossible. Haikus are traditional Japanese poetic verses created specifically for the Japanese language and for Japanese poets. Since I am a European without the knowledge of the Japanese language or of the culture, history and way of life of Japan, it was impossible to be faithful to such an honorable poetic tradition.

So I did the next best thing, which was create a European version, thus the Euro-Ku. And for those on the American continent, the Ameri-Ku will fit just as good. The Euro-Ku is written in keeping with the idea of the three verses, but since our language demands much more in terms of words and expressions, the verses are not limited by syllabic counts. The verses can be as short or as long as they need to be to convey the message of the poem. And they must flow easily and logically into each other. There should be no phrases floating away into outer space.

Then, to finish the wholeness of the poem, the author must include an illustration of his own creation. It can be a drawing, painting, collage, photo or combinations of these elements, but it must be unedited and specific to the poem. With this you have a Euro-Ku or an Ameri-Ku.

I have seen some phenomenal poets already trying their hand at these styles and I think their work has been outstanding. I invite you to try it as well. The Euro-Ku in this post has very short phrases (verses) but I have written several whose verses are quite longer…

CHEERS