On Closed-Form Poetry

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In 2004, I embarked on a self-imposed undertaking of writing at least one poem a day. I was able to do the challenge for more than a year, producing more than 400 poems of varying lengths, styles, and themes written either in English or in Filipino. That collection was a voluminous addition to an already existing two books of poetry in Filipino (Pag-aalay ng Bulaklak sa Lumipas at Lilipas, 1988–1992; and Pagdiriwang Pagsapit ng Panaginip, 1994–2003).

This is the first poem in the third collection entitled Pagpapagpag ng Alikabok sa Nakalimutang Alaala (2004–2013).

Hitík

Sa dilim ng yungib
Liwanag ay tubig
Kabog ng dibdib
Badya ay pag-ibig

Mga likha ng diwa
Alay kay Haámyeda'r
Bawat dulas ng tinta
Alaalang pinundar

Mga akda ko ay hitík
Punung-puno ng pagsinta
Produkto ng pagtatalik
Ng utak, titik, at pluma

While I like the freedom and looseness free-verse (or open-form) poetry affords the poet, I prefer better the stringent qualities of closed-form poetry. Closed-form poetry is a type of poetry that exhibits regular structure, such as meter or a rhyming pattern.

Each of the stanzas of the poem above follows the rhyme scheme ABAB.
Each of the lines of the first stanza has six syllables, the second stanza's has seven, and the third's has eight.