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Pathways
lead me beyond
fiddlehead, fir and vine
to the dark banks of Neverland's
hot spring.
--Gary Blankenship (#102, p. 34)

It has been said that writing is, by its very nature, a collaborative act, an exchange of knowledge and ideas. In the same way that we gain experience from reading the work of other writers, so, too, do we develop through being in relationship with those who write alongside us. This is particularly true when engaged in multi-voiced writing such as found in May Dazed, a collaborative cinquain sequence of 212 poems by the following fourteen poets: Andrea Da Costa, Cindy Tebo, Cris Staubach, Denis M. Garrison, Deborah P. Kolodji, Gary Blankenship, Hortensia Anderson, John Daleiden, Karina Klesko, Kate Steere, Linda M. Papanicolaou, Michael L. Evans, Sprite, and Toni J. Layton.

This project has its roots in Deborah P. Kolodji's CinquainPoets, an online community mailing list forum, which focuses on the American form of the cinquain popularized by Adelaide Crapsey (1878-1914). This five-line poetic form is characterized, in part, by a distinct syllable count of 2-4-6-8-2. If you love the resonance and deceptive simplicity of short-verse, this collaborative cinquain sequence on the theme, "May Dazed", will take you on a journey that extends well beyond the month of May! There are verses which explore natural surroundings as well as the existential aspects of human nature. Humor also finds its way between these lines, while others are downright quirky. As with many short verse forms, cinquains are a powerful medium for conveying issues of a contemplative nature--many of which resonate beyond the page.

A tear
falls in the rain
behind a long black veil. . .
now, only she knows their secret
love song.
--Michael L. Evans (#79, p.27)

Reviewed by Terrie Leigh Relf, 2006.