I wrote my first attempt at a Bussokuseki poem in response to Suzanne Brace’s prompt. Suzanne wears the Poet of the Week crown for the W3 Prompt #141. Read her winning villanelle poem here.
Bussokuseki?
Bussokuseki is a Japanese poetry form similar to the Tanka but with and extra 7-syllable line (Thank you, Colleen Chesebro, for illuminating me on this fact :))
Suzanne’s prompt is:
Theme: Yutori;
Yutori is a Japanese word (noun or verb) meaning: elbowroom; leeway; room; reserve; margin; allowance; latitude; time (to spare)’ according to Jisho.org;
Form: Any Japanese poetic form;
*Click* HERE for an explanation of Japanese poetry forms by James P. Wagner (Ishwa) and Nick Hale
Daily Commute

time to go to work
in a large crowd side by side
shouldertoshoulder
unable to move an inch
squeezed in on the train, I dream
I am flying like a bird
Lesley Scoble, January 2025
CREDITS
My thanks to Suzanne Brace, for her inspiring prompt.
My thanks as always, to our gracious host, David Bogomolny, The Skeptics Kaddish, for his inspiration and encouragement.
Last but not least, my thanks to you, for reading 🙏
Lesley lives in the City of London Square Mile. An artist, actor and sculptor (her first ceramic sculpture won the V&A inspired by… Award). Scenic artist & book illustrator, playwright (her musical play, Rapscallion performed in inner city schools and theatre school); TV dancer; mime artist; Animator and illustrator for TV production. Set up Pinecone Studios Ltd and IIMSI Ltd drama and filmmaking workshops in London – producing award-winning films made by children.







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