My First Sijo ~ A Korean Poem with a Twist

                                                                            Childhood Memory

I believed in fairy tales, happy ever, happy after,

holding tight my father’s hand, love surrounding,  grace abounding—

'til watching from his cardboard mat, the homeless man turned away. 

April is poetry month and I was lucky enough to have a friend link me with an incredible group of teacher writers who accept the challenge to write a poem every day in April. One of the members shares a prompt and poem, and the rest of us try our best to honor the month that honors our muse. Today I learned a new form which I had never before heard of— Sijo (pronounced Sheejo): a Korean Poem with a Twist. Sijo has only three lines, but a very particular syllable count that differs from line to line. The first line introduces the subject, the second line expands on the subject and the third line offers a twist— a change in attitude or feeling. My poem today is is based on a very real moment in my childhood— or perhaps it was the very real moment when the doors of childhood closed. Either way, as I celebrate spring, as I hold onto memories of childhood wonders, I will never forget that not everyone is as lucky as I have been.