The imayo is a Japanese poetry form from 12th century.
It was originally intended for songs.
Since then it has evolved to a poem with four 12-syllable lines,
each divided up into sections of seven and five syllables by a caesura.
This is the structure:
- 4 lines (8 lines permissible)
- 12 syllables per line divided as7/5
- make a pause space between the 7 and 5 syllables
- use comma, caesura or kireji (cutting word) as the pause
- no rhymes
- no meter
- no end of line pauses – the whole should flow together as though one long sentence