Poetry Friday – Sugar Skull Piñata by Robert Benavidez

Denise Krebs

Today is Poetry Friday, and Susan Thomsen is hosting today with a pinata poem and story from Passaic, New Jersey. 

Día de Los Muertos
sings of bright rainbow skulls–
heart-shaped nose, starry eyes,
strong zygomatic arch,
mighty smile fills nighttime
fears with a holy hope

I learned the syllable square poetry form last week from Carmela A. Martino, here at Tyger, Tyger Magazine. This one is a 6×6 poem.

The artwork that inspired my poem: Sugar Skull Piñata by Robert Benavidez

18 thoughts on “Poetry Friday – Sugar Skull Piñata by Robert Benavidez”

  1. Yass, Denise. Or rather, siiiiiii. This is terrific! I’ll have to try the syllable-square form, too.

  2. I love the form, Denise, and you created it with such interesting words. I didn’t know what ‘zygomatic’ meant and now I do. Yes to the smile helping!

  3. Oooh – square poetry. I haven’t tried it in a while but love the rhythm it can create. Love the lines “mighty smile fills nighttime fears with a holy hope.” Thanks for sharing.

  4. We all need “holy hope” these days, Denise. Thanks for sharing the square poem format, a new word, and Carmela’s post. It’s wonderful to spend a morning reading poetry.

  5. Denise, I love “holy hope.” And great job on the 6×6. Living in AZ, the Dia de los Muertos is a familiar celebration. I had NO IDEA – had never paid enough attention — to the heart-shaped nose!

  6. Denise, I’m so glad you followed up on writing a syllable square poem. You’ve done a masterful job with this one! I especially like the last two lines–they leave us feeling uplifted. And you taught me a new word: zygomatic!

  7. Denise, I had not heard of square poetry, but now I cannot wait to try it! Thank you for your wonderful sugar skull example!

  8. A lovely, holy hope – wow! I think the six-by-six is such a spare, tight form — I need to remember to play with it some more. Thanks for sharing this.

  9. Love that you brought in the zygomatic arch into the poem. It’s detail one notices about a skull. I like the form. It’s fun to count syllables.

  10. How lucky you were that “Dia de Los Muertos” had six syllables!!! And “zygomatic arch!” Such a fun detail!!

  11. Wow, are those flowers? Amazing!

    Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com

  12. Love this form! And wow–those skulls are just amazing!

  13. That looks like another fun form to try, Denise. (And it almost looks like a bilby in the second page of pinatas.) The birds are amazing!

  15. This is great! I love the form you used and you suffused it with brilliant word choice. Those final two lines are primo! Thanks for sharing the information about the syllable square poem and pi-ku, also. I’ll definitely be playing with those. I’m having such fun reading all the different takes on piñatas!

  16. I love this, Denise. I don’t know this form. And your last two lines…all those bright, shiny, long i sounds in the 5th line, and then the deeper r, l, and o sounds on the final line. Totally brings me as a reader from the outside to deep inside. Lovely.

  17. Such beautiful inspiration for your poem! Thanks for sharing both with us. I’m enjoying all the piñata poems this week!

  18. I love having to look up a word!! Thanks for playing piñatas with us!

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