Enta Kusakabe, who created Gogyohka, says "there is a masterpiece in every heart." We can lift each other up when we remember how to sing, even if our song is sad or angry or difficult. Because then we know we are not alone. Others feel this way, too, at some pont. Gogyohka has gogyohkans, not poets. Gogyohka reminds us we are birds--we all know how to sing. Not just "poets." So sing your song! This is how we belong. New citizens singing songs across the globe.

We will be celebrating our sixth Big Forest Uta-Kai (Japanese Poetry Gathering) in early June, when the frogs are making their way into water, and back out again. All people breathe, all languages use breath, so Gogyohka is global in nature, though Japanese by birth. Basho, best known haiku poet of Japan, wrote his most famous haiku about a frog. But Haiku relies on Japanese language sound unit, mora, for its structure. Mora and syllables have different lengths, so hard to export Haiku to all languages. Gogyohka is for whole world. It's like Basho's frog with wings!

Listen.  To your song and the songs around you. We will gather on lily pads and make the leap from one to the next. We will remember how to be free.

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No experience reading or writing is required. Please bring paper and a pen or pencil with you. This is not a poetry workshop. No critical evaluation of your poetry will take place.  A heart cannot be questioned, only encouraged.

Light meal, good times, an embodiment practice, writing gogyohka, and optional sharing. Gogyohka Uta-Kai is super fun!

Sliding Scale 15/20/25/30