Illicitous

Illicitous: An Imayo*

Blurred eyes missed your intense gaze, as I come near you.
Your face’s illicitous look, reveals your soul’s crooked.
Your dark eyes take off my clothes, but I keep my stance.
I know my womanhood’s worth, you’ll ne’er stand a chance!

—

©2016 Rosemawrites@A Reading Writer. All Rights Reserved.

Photo credit: Unsplash.com

Word Inspiration: Sarah Doughty of Heartstring Eulogies (Thank you, Sarah!)

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*Imayo

It seems that whenever I research a Japanese form, it involves an alternating 5-7 or 7-5 syllabic structure. The Imayo (present style) of the 12th century is no exception. This form creates long lines broken by caesura separating 7 and 5 syllables in the line.

The Imayo is:

• a 4 line poem.
• syllabic, written in 12 syllable lines broken by caesura after the 7th syllable.