The Lunyu or The Analects of Confucius, translated by Burton Watson, begins with a photograph of a stone stele fragment from the Imperial Academy in A.D 175. They were written in a style of calligraphy called li. Most of the stones from that period were buried or destroyed and unearthed during the Song dynasty (960 to 1127 CE). It contains a list of aphorisms and important historical anecdotes.
Confucius taught four things: culture, behavior, loyalty, and trustworthiness. He prohibited four things as well: no willfulness, no obstinacy, no narrow-mindedness, and no egotism.
Confucius encouraged self-questioning: Is my vision clear? Is my hearing accurate? Is my expression genial? Is my manner courteous? Are my words loyal? Am I respectful in the way I serve? When in doubt do I seek advice? When angry, do I think of the troubles that may ensue? When I detect the possibility of gain, would I be right to take advantage?
My Writing Goals for 2026
Continue to develop my poetry and connections with other poets:
BWA Poetry Circle: I have canceled the BWA Poetry Circle online on Zoom for this fall.
Cannon Mine Poets Group: I attended Michele Battiste’s reading in August. Michele is serving as the 2026-28 Poet Laureate of Lafayette, Colorado. Her book The Elsewhere Oracle is a finalist for the High Plains Book International Award for Poetry and was longlisted for the Julie Suk Award. Michele is a warm and delightful presenter. During the Open Mike, I read my “Ode to the Yampa Valley.”
Columbine Poets: I attended Brenda Wildrick’s in-person workshop for Columbine.
Colorado Poetry Center: I attended the Colorado Poets Center Tuesday evening poetry presentation with Lew Forester and John Calderazzo.
Continue to make progress on my draft novels: No progress.
Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:
I continue to attend local poetry readings, watch Zoom presentations, read books published by local poets, and write a review now and then.
Document my writing progress through my blog and post it on the seventh day of each month, one blog per month in 2026:
Today is September 7, 2026. I am posting my ninth blog for the year 2026. This year, I have been focusing on a specific poetic form for each month. In August I studied the sijo, a Korean form. In September I will practice writing a ballad. Then, I will work on the haiku in October, the rondeau in November, and finally the cinquain in December.
In August, I worked on the sijo which is pronounced “SHEE-jo” and refers to a Korean poetic form made up of 44-46 syllables. The term “sijo” is also used in the context of Chinese martial arts where it refers to the founder or ancestor of a martial arts system or lineage.
As I have never studied Korean language or literature, I had to take a deep dive into Korean poetry to fully understand this ancient Korean traditional poetic form. Even though the sijo dates from the Goryeo period (918 to 1392), it continued to be popular through the Joseon Dynasty (1392 to 1910) and continues to be popular today.
A sijo is a three-line or six-line poem with varying syllables per line and contains an introduction, a development, and a structural “turn” or “twist.” A sijo resembles a haiku but is longer and more lyrical. When written in Korean, it is an unrhymed form made up of 3 lines of 14 to 16 syllables. Usually in English translation, the form uses six shorter lines.
Because the form was originally designed to be sung or chanted, a sijo has a distinct rhythmic cadence. The form is written as three long lines or split into six short lines in English (splitting each line at its natural midpoint pause).Each line typically holds 14 to 16 syllables, structured to feel like 3-4-4-4 for the first two lines, and 3-5-4-3 for the final line. The first line introduces a situation, topic, or theme (traditionally broken into a 3-4-4-4 syllable rhythm). The second line develops, expands, or elaborates on the theme (traditionally a 3-4-4-4 syllable rhythm). Finally, the third line begins with a quick 3-syllable “twist” or surprise (the counter-theme) followed by a concluding 4-3 segment to wrap it up as 3-4-3.
Because women were not included in the Confucian writing of sijo, I decided to write a modern English sijo with a feminist theme. See below.
Feminism essentially establishes
important mechanisms necessary for professions
that uplift individuals in their lives
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