Pi-ku and Pi-ku-ku

A Pi-ku is like a haiku but its phonetic structure follows a 3-1-4 pattern instead of 5-7-5. This means there are only 8 syllables to work with vs 17.

Here’s one:

Eager dog Rain Wet mangy hide

It’s trickier to write a pi-ku than a haiku because of the reduced bandwidth. The essential expression must be compressed.

One way to write a pi-ku is to start with a simple image on the first line, offer a transformation or action on the second line, and then offer an outcome or conclusion on the third line. The last statement may be a punchline - clever, humorous, or insightful.

Pi-kus can be grouped together into a Pi-ku-ku, which itself follows the same pattern of 3-1-4, totaling a set of 8. The first and last groups should deal with similar subject matter. The lone middle one can fuse the two ideas or depart entirely.

Here’s a Pi-ku-ku:

Eastern Sun Wait Now in the west Rayless earth Rolls New day is born Big planet Small From star's view Her lashes Bat Why did I leave? Framing mom Smile Breakfast cranny Remember dad Hearts He left nothing Young nephew Laughs Genuine kid Middle age Eyes Atop a hill