During NaPoWriMo last month, one of the prompts given challenged poets to write a Sijo. Since I have never attempted one, I found an old two sentence story to rework so I could spend time focusing on the form. Now I’m able to look at the original flash fiction verses the new poem, and ponder which version works better.

Original Flash Fiction:

The church is quiet as I light the last candle in the row, closing my eyes and murmuring a desperate prayer. A cold whisper of a draft blows against my neck, and when I open my eyes, my candle is the only one lit.

New Poem:

I choose a candle to light in the quiet church, closing my eyes

I murmur a desperate prayer, a cold draft whispers it’s response

I open my eyes, my candle is the only one still lit

I like the poem that resulted, but I think I prefer the original flash fiction. Either way, trying the same idea in different formats is a fun way to find what works best.