Bytes

[benjamin]

I have a certain love for forms, and enjoy inventing them, whether for a single poem or many. Today I came up with a form called a Byte.

On a computer, the word "byte" means a string of eight 0s and 1s, e.g. 10110110. For poetry purposes, a Byte is an eight-syllable poem.

For this exercise, try writing a few Byte poems. Not just eight-syllable sentences, but full poems consisting of only eight syllables. Think of it as an extreme form of haiku.

I'd love to see what people can do with this. Here are my first three (not very good; hopefully you guys can do better!):

I.
your glow
powers all columbus

II.
reached peak
sang songs until sunrise.

III.
swallow
my manhood
medicine

[Danté]

She is open
my hand is wet

.

[oggiesnr]

Death
cannot be denied
by you.

Steve

[bodkin]

A spider
has
so many legs.

[benjamin]

I've actually started a blog of these, though I've ceased the pretension that they're a "form" or that I "invented" them. But check it out: http://justafewbytes.me/

[Lake]

Harmony

one step forward
then one backward

[Ros]

ignorance
a dark-running
stream

[bodkin]

one two three four
five six seven

[Lake]

What is not Zen

it’s everywhere
it’s in your heart

[bodkin]

Throughput

easy-come and
easily gone

[Lake]

Rich or Poor

depends on
a contented mind

[bodkin]

country of the mind

contentment
is a
continent

[Lake]

No Substitute

enlightenment
attained
by yourself

[bodkin]

independence

by yourself,
for yourself :
your self

[Suzanne]

mud that clung
was kicked off
my shoes

[BenJohnson]

Searchlights flash
through branches
of thoughts.

[Lake]

Buddha, Demon

it is
but just a
thought away

[bodkin]

Does the Wii have Buddha nature?

in thought
don't think
in life
living

[Lake]

Thanks bodkin, I see the wisdom in your bytes.

What is Zen?

fish in the sea
asks:
"what is Sea?"