Celebrate the CHERITA!

Long before discussions of AI became the national conversation, there lived Ai, the sentient poet who created the CHERITA,  an accessible form of poetry which I learned about from  the poet-teacher Joel (hō EL) Garcia, a member of the Ethical ELA cohort. The CHERITA is a six-line narrative presented in an easy-to-remember formula. 

Three separate stanzas.
One line for the first stanza.
Two lines for the second stanza.
Three lines for the third stanza 

When writing a CHERITA, it's important to remember that the poem tells a story (CHERITA   means story or tale in Malay) and that stories have a beginning, middle, and end. That means, like a well-written paragraph, there should be an introductory welcome to the reader in the first line with details in the next two lines. The last three lines should form  a culminating thought to round out the poem. 

The possibilities of the CHERITA are endless and a great way to work ourselves into writing poetry. We needn't worry about forcing thoughts into a certain number of syllables or rhyme patterns, though, of course, both in-line and end-line rhymes often pop into a poem naturally. 

What I love about this form is that it forces a narrow tunnel of expression. As one who loves words, it's easy to get carried away with unnecessary adjectives. Here's a CHERITA about my childhood dreams.

When I grew up

I wanted to be a writer.

Aways collecting sounds and words,

sometimes I struggled to find the right word, 

sometimes I struggled to find the hidden burrow

holding the heartbeat of my song.

There's an innocence in the CHERITA, a directness which disallows excess verbiage while still affording us the opportunity to capture a moment, to tell a story. Perhaps that’s why I chose to write today's CHERITA about childhood dreams.

As I've already noted, I had never before heard of this poetic form and hadn't  even heard of  Ai before being introduced to her by Joel. Truly, this was the opportune time for me to meet her.

AI, the machine-bred gremlin, pops up everywhere.

He offers to polish my thoughts, 

and distracts me from the path I'm traveling.

Always, I say no, or what's a writer for? Ai, the poet with heart,

understands. Offering me a template, she whispers, you'll find your way.

Six lines. Three stanzas. Fill it with your truth. 

How about writing your own CHERITA? Tell me a story. Fill it with your truth,