To April — singing
of blackbirds clinging
to trees
In dawn still stinging
from frost and bringing
the breeze
the scents that’s slinging
blooms into ringing
for peace.
Then gently swinging
soft dusk beginning
to please
me dancing, spinning
light into dimming
hark, tease
of blackbirds clinging
to April — singing
such ease.
Gentle breeze by Kaoru Kawano
Today we start a new exercise on form at dVerse and Grace introduces Lai and Lai Noveau to us.
—
April 25, 2019
Björn Rudbergs writings 
I feel the joy and lilt of the warmer weather in this, and I love the form. Looking forward to dVerse today.
So joyful to read specially with dancing and spinning. I specially love:
the scents that’s slinging
soft dusk beginning
Bjorn, after this past winter, your poem carries the hope and promise of healing days and growth. Especially, as April can be, a heartbreaking month, with flooding and winter-like temperatures.
You are brave, Björn, diving in with a double lai! I love the ring of the ‘ing’ rhyme throughout, and the image of ‘dawn still stinging from frost’.
There’s something about this form that I find very hard to get right and very hard to hear as a poem. Maybe I’ll get used to it, but as Kim has said, it’s difficult not to sound stilted with so many rhymes in such short lines.
You had me at /soft dusk beginning/to please/. There already seems to be some latitude in the rhyme schemes. I kind of liked you using the same rhyme on all the AA lines; it flowed musically.
What a lovely ode to Spring!
This is quite joyful and relaxing.
You breezed right past the lai nouveau, Bjorn. I bow!
a glorious welcome to Spring
A wonderful April tribute!
l Iiked this line:
the breeze
the scents that’s slinging
blooms into ringing
for peace.
Cool Björn, you make the form work
Very fun transition joy. Nice
This lai seems much like a dance to me–your subject and the repetition of the ing ending reinforce the feeling. I agree with Jane, though, something about the form itself seems forced. (K)
I found this form difficult to write, but this one is beautiful and effortless. Very well done!
I love the gentle rhythm of this Lai, it flows like bird song 🐦🎶
I’m a novice to this form, but it seems to me that you captured the spirit of it. This flows effortlessly like a breeze.
Seamlessly done, Bjorn!