Jenny Bornholdt and Muchō and Buson - Workshop 10/05/22

Hello, everyone.

Jenny Bornholdt was born in Lower Hutt in 1960. She studied under Bill Manhire. She was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services as a poet.

Muchō was also known as Ueda Akinari and died in 1809 in Kyoto, Japan, at the age of 75.
Yosa Buson died in 1784 at the age of 68, also in Kyoto.

Two themes from the first poetic text are happiness and credibility. Somehow we don't believe the wedding guest who repeats all night how much they love their life.

The theme from the second pair of poetic texts is manure. In these haiku, it is balanced by and enhances the beauty of the flower petals.

The structure of all of these texts is very short. You could try to write in the form of a concise poem, a haiku, or even an epigram or one-liner if you like. Try to work and rework the short text you make by editing.

Six words to attempt to incorporate into your writing from Bornholdt: night, friend, guest, arrive, face, tune.

Six words from Muchō and Buson: plum, tree, blossom, road, river, appear.

If you have a copy of The Exercise Book (Manhire, Duncum, Price & Wilkins), turn to "#46: The Iain Sharp Poem" for a different challenge, one that was in fact also written by Jenny Bornholdt.

That's all. I hope you are inspired to write today.

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The arrival of wedding guests
by Jenny Bornholdt

All night my friend tells me
she loves, she loves, she
loves her life.

She is my wedding guest
she arrives with her face
of happiness
and someone strikes up
a tune.

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Two Haiku

A plum tree in bloom — horse shit on the road south of the river
—Muchō

Fallen red plum blossoms appear to be ablaze on clumps of horse shit
—Buson