Enga mellom fjella

5 koutas

Sitting in my bed, listening...

**********

Chicken sizzles in the pan,
herbs de Provence, sweet perfume.
Lavender 'blooms' this winter,
yet I eat alone.

**********

Dust fills my lungs when breezes
enter window gaps.
Ka-choo, ka-choo, and you too!
said to no one there.

**********

Geraniums cry, Water!
I comply. Housebound,
they are my only true friends
at end of winter.

**********

Pound, pound, a scurry of feet.
I recognize my neighbor.
Even sounds have signatures
that break this silence.

**********

My tan suede jacket hangs limp
waiting for days of no rain.
I wrap myself in fake fur.
I can't wait till Spring.

Kåre Enga (7.mars.2020)

The elements of Kouta are:
1. a poem in 4 lines. (an occasional 5th line may appear)
2. a stand alone poem but often is accompanied by other Koutas with the same theme.
3. syllabic, variable odd numbered syllable lengths, the most common patterns are written in lines of alternating 7-5-7-5 syllables or 7-7-7-5 syllables.
4. secular, personal, themes of ordinary life
5. often includes onomatopoeia. A word that imitates the sound associated with its meaning such as "BooM" or "hiss"