As 2008 reaches an end, Amaze: The Cinquain Journal will have only published two issues, instead of its usual four. While we work on that second issue, Amaze #16, I thought I’d give you a holiday present, a bonus holiday issue containing one poem, a 63 stanza cinquain sequence written by 12 poets. “Coming Home” was written in December 2006 on the CinquainPoetSequence yahoogroup. It has never been published. Writing a cinquain sequence can be rewarding and sometimes frustrating. It is fun to collaborate with other poets. But sometimes, the sequence takes on a life of its own and travels in directions you do not expect. It is not for the faint-hearted. To be successful, a cinquain sequence needs a theme, a linking algorithm, someone to monitor the rules, and the willingness of each poet to adapt to new entries in the sequence as they come. I would like to thank my fellow collaborators on this sequence – Hortensia Anderson, Gary Blankenship, Andrea Da Costa, John Daleiden, Michael L. Evans, Toni J. Layton, Shanna Baldwin Moore, Rita Oteh, Trish Shields, Sprite, and Zhanna Rader for their support of Amaze and cinquain poetry, their willingness to allow me to publish their work, and the hours of fun we had writing this sequence. “Coming Home” uses as its linking algorithm, a last line/first line approach. Each link needed to start with a first line containing the two syllables ending the cinquain before it. I hope you enjoy this little holiday offering and no matter which, if any, holiday you will be celebrating this December, may happy days follow you through the end of the year and into the next. In 2009, we expect to return to our usual quarterly format. Warm Regards, Deborah P Kolodji Editor, Amaze: The Cinquain Journal Coming Home: A Cinquain Sequence Coming Home was written by Hortensia Anderson, Gary Blankenship, Andrea Da Costa, John Daleiden, Michael L. Evans, Deborah P Kolodji, Toni J. Layton, Shanna Baldwin Moore, Rita Oteh, Trish Shields, Sprite, and Zhanna Rader in December, 2006. (You can navigate through the sequence, one poem at a time.  The final line in each cinquain is a hyperlink to the next.  The first line is a hyperlink to the previous.  A single page with all 63 poems is here.)

Return to the front page of this issue:   Amaze   Vol. 6, Holiday Edition  Go to the Poets & Authors page for the poet's biographical sketch and email link. All poems are copyright © 2008 by their respective authors.