Notes

A new short verse form

• Momentos are a verse form that I originated (though someone out there may have a prior patent claim). My goal was to maintain some aspects of the oriental Haiku form, while incorporating more of the heritage of English verse. The use of 5-7-5 syllables in Haiku does not match up well with the English language, producing a forced flavor in some Haiku that tries to adhere strictly to this formula. Also, many Haiku lovers frown on the use of rhymes, though my Haiku include rhymes when I feel they arise naturally.
  
• My rules for Momentos are simple. Instead of the 5-7-5 pattern of syllables, I use a 3-4-3 pattern of metric feet, with the number of syllables varying with the type of metric foot (iamb, anapest, dactyl, etc.) A rhyme scheme of aba is preferred, but not absolutely necessary. The poem should try to capture the sensations of a moment in time, a pithy remembrance, hence the coined name Momento, combining memento with moment.
  
• This verse form of instant reminiscence should be a good match for modern society’s short attention span,freezing in time a single thought, observation, or emotion – concise but (ideally) weighty. My early experiences with the form seem to indicate that the rhymes seem to confine the form to lighter thoughts than can be expressed in Haiku. Perhaps this explains the reluctance to use rhyme in English Haiku, though I do not see why English Haiku cannot on occasion be light or humorous, following the oriental model.


• The subparagraphs in this section are notes on specific Momentos, primarily those which I have converted from verses originally written as Haiku, comparing the two forms.
  

This poem was first composed as a Haiku:

Penguin stands on ice,
eggs and sperm between his legs -
future nurtured twice.

then recast as a Momento:

The penguin stands on ice,
with eggs and sperm between his legs -
the future nurtured twice.

— the only changes required to convert Haiku to Momento were the addition of the first words in each line. As a result, there seems to be little difference between the two, but I believe I prefer the Haiku version for its compactness, even though it violates the rhyming taboos of Haiku.

This poem was first composed as a Haiku:

Twirling blades above
blow away the summer heat -
a couple in love.

then recast as a Momento:

The twirling blades above
can’t blow away the summer heat
from steamy couples in love.

— these simple changes make the Momento far more specific about the dual meaning of heat, possibly to the detriment of its poetic worth, but this is a good illustration of the way in which the poetic structure (or very minor wording changes) can shape a poem's meaning - the form is almost as important as the words.