CROSS POST: facebook status poem - 2011-02-16 09:28

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the wind brings me memories of monsoon midnights
belying the cold comfort of my current moment
I allow my mind to move backwards in time
to that once touch in summers wet rainy heat



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CROSS POST: not a form a day... but a poem for my 365 in 365 :-) -- 2011-02-15 17:11

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BLESSING

the sky kissed my cheek and called me sweetheart
gave me permission to warm my indulgences in the sun
so I walked boldly into the daylight
called perfection my own
I know all that I wish for is already mine



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cross post: HAPPY SINGLEHOOD AWARENESS DAY - 2011-02-14 10:12

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unlucky in love

I think
that I came in this world
a born loser
hardwired for failure
predispositioned for heartbreak
and yet I still chase
the elusive butterfly
of romantic affection



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facebook status poem (haiku) - 2011-02-13 11:41

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Phoenix wintertime
devoid of snow, filled with sun
mild and beautiful



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CROSS POST: facebook status poem - 2011-02-12 14:25

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because sometimes words are hard to come by
when they are swallowed by the emptiness
choked by the silence of loneliness
but I still hope nonetheless



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CROSS POST: poem: DEPTH OF INTENSITY - 2011-02-10 12:29

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I bent myself backwards over my eyes to see his beauty
forced vocabulary from lips to hear the words he spoke
I wonder... does he remember that single fast dance?
it was unimportant... so inconsequential
but it is these deep chocolate midnights that tempt me
please my senses to the point of curiosity
but know that it will not kill me
merely boil over in the intensity of frustration
a desire unrecognized and unrealized
we have never touched in secret or public embrace
and still in my mind I trace the silk of his mahogany
holding memories of baritone poetry
it's silly, this dreaming of slip knot encounters
the enjoyment of fantasy is fleeting
yet still I close my eyes



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CROSS POST: new form every day... Ghazal (day 41 of 365 poems in 365 days) - 2011-02-10 09:50

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THE DISCOMFORT OF DISCONNECTION

there is a deepening despondency
with the company of love's cessation.

time is fraught with horror of dejection
and sorrow throughout parting's duration.

bitterness perhaps fought with alcohol
taken in the hopes of sweet sedation.

there is memory of fits of delight
replaced now with an aching sensation.

with the missing then comes the hollowness
of complete emotional starvation.

fighting these flights of fanciful dreaming
somehow leading only to stagnation.

but even in these darkened times of woe
there is cause for hope and pure elation.

the knowing that this to shall someday pass
leads to finding of a new salvation.



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From: http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/list.html





Ghazal

From: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(I suggest reading the full article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghazal for much more details)

The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century Arabic verse. It is derived from the Arabian panegyric qasida. The structural requirements of the ghazal are similar in stringency to those of the Petrarchan sonnet. In its style and content it is a genre which has proved capable of an extraordinary variety of expression around its central themes of love and separation. It is one of the principal poetic forms which the Indo-Perso-Arabic civilization offered to the eastern Islamic world.

MY SUMMARY ON FORM REQUIREMENTS:
* composed of five or more couplets
* a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain.
(usually illicit unattainable love?)
* In the first couplet, both lines end in the rhyme and refrain so that the ghazal's rhyme scheme is AA BA CA etc
* Each couplet must be a complete sentence (or several sentences) in itself.
* All the couplets, and each line of each couplet, must share the same meter.



PERSONAL NOTE ON THE PROCESS...
"A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain."

I can definitely get the pain of separation/loss part... the beauty of love in spite of, I haven't felt beautiful about separation since 2005-2006... Plus the requirement of the form? Yeah, this took a lot of researching to get the feel of what I was going to write.

I noticed in the ghazals written by English speakers, there was only the rhyme and not necessarily a refrain word or phrase. Plus in Wikipedia it did say not all ghazal forms (great, forms within a form) used the refrain, so that freed up my mind a little. I'll try to challenge myself to do a refrain later.



The rhyming is still the same for me. I use a single word for my main theme and then rhyming dictionary it into oblivion to figure out how to say what I want and still emote while at the same time fitting into the meter and rhyme of the form.So I decided on a theme of separation (without actually using the word in the poem) and a pentameter rhythm (NOT iambic, I hate that rhythm! :-P). I did a few more than the minimum 5 couplets. Challenge was to have each couplet be a complete sentence or sentences. I am still not so keen on rhyming and using meter because it feels so nursery rhyme like and is not the natural way I think these days... but... I did it and I hope it doesn't suck! :-P



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CROSS POST: new form every day... French Sonnet (day 40 of 365 poems in 365 days) - 2011-02-09 19:33

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A LONG SLOW SWEEPING THING

sadness as a constant companion
drawn into the abyss
a heart's longing to dismiss
suspended over rifts and canyons

filled with woe and feeling abandoned
on better times to reminisce
the view of perfection is amiss
unrelenting and demanding

as if all happiness one must forsake
and no forgiveness for the mistake

the wrenching burden of the chasm
filling more and more with ache
crying simply for sorrow's sake
even if unreal, a phantasm



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From: http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/list.html


French Sonnet

By the time Wyatt and Surrey introduced Petrarch to England, sonnets were popular throughout Europe, including France where a group called "Pleiade" was dedicated to importing Italian poetry.

Despite the aggression between England and France, because of the closeness of the two countries is it logical to assume that there would be a secondary source of the sonnet form imported into England and that it be via France.

Realistically apart from the 14 lines, and an octave of two quatrains there is no obvious link of the English to the Italian Forms as the internal rhymes are different, and what is proposed here is that the French Sonnet is that link. Like the Italian and the English it has an octave comprising two quatrains, but unlike the Italian and like the English it has a sestet comprised of a couplet and a quatrain and it is possible that the English sonnet was derived from the French Sonnet form and not the Italian one. The difference being that the English grouped the Quatrains together and turned (Volta) with a couplet the last two lines, but the French turned with the sestet and used the quatrain to close.

The internal rhyme is still different, but that can be attributed to the differences of the "Romance" language which has its own natural rhythm and rhyme, compared to English and the more natural did dah line rhyme just as Iambic is considered to be "English Sing Song".

The form has exactly the same quatrain as the Petrarch - a. b. b. a ... a. b. b. a.

The sestet begins with a couplet - c. c., and like the Italian sestet, we have a choice of quatrains to play with.

- d. e. e. d.
or more French, - d. c. c. d.
or more English - d. e. d. e.




PERSONAL NOTE ON THE PROCESS...
Sonnets are NOT natural for me to write AT ALL. Any rhymed form is pretty hard most of the time and this was no exception. I wrote a few lines of what I was feeling and then took the main concepts from that to pick a few words to try to rhyme with and then looked up synomyms and rhymes off the base words to try to get it all to fit together and be somewhat pretty and in my style and voice even within the form. I'm not sure I succeeded but it is what it is. As I usually do, I got the rhyming words first and then came up with the lines 2nd. I don't know how other people do it but that seems to be my modus operandi.

One thing reading these assignment poems at open mics has shown me is when I speak them in my cadence, they feel real. It's the meters that require certain accent patterns (ie Iambic) that I have a bit of trouble with.



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CROSS POST: poem: toxic intentions (day 39 of 365 poems in 365 days) - 2011-02-08 14:59

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I was poison once
slippery and sideways then
a tragic moment of indiscretion
elongated and drawn out
taken for granted
begged for and then released
then picked back up again
deepened until discarded
double fault and sides wrong
it takes two to tango
and it does not make a right
so I write
giving myself permission
to mourn the loss of my power
yet still too powerful
to be brought down
still immuned to my own
and to that of others
they run from me
or smack face into walls
force fields of my being
knowing I was poison
and that as such
I am my own antidote



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CROSS POST: new form every day... Eintou (day 39 of 365 poems in 365 days) - 2011-02-08 09:04

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Poems about Blackness in a Black form. Happy Black History Month...


THE N WORD

We be
like wild beasts then
we cattle not human
once princes, kings, and queens be we
then robbed of our true pride
less than others
niggers



HISTORY REMEMBERED

one month
we take the time
to remember ourselves as great again
uplift the goodness and ingenuity of our spirit
know that we were more than
that we were good
let's remember


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From: http://randomwriterlythoughts.blogspot.com/2010/08/eintou.html


Eintou

The Eintou is an African American poetry form consisting seven lines with a total of 32 syllables or words. The term Eintou is West African for "pearl" as in pearls of wisdom, and often the Eintou imparts these pearls in heightened language.

The Eintou developed as a means for African American poetic forms to take their place in the forefront of American poetry. Many African American poetic scholars and critics often attempted to mimic Euro-American forms as a means of demonstrating poetic expertise, or stood by "free-verse" as an African American form. It was rare to see serious examination of African American poetic forms; in fact most critics regarded African American poetry as "formless" or "mimicking."

The 2-4-6-8-6-4-2 structure of the Eintou is crucial in terms of African and African American philosophy. Life is a cycle. Everything returns to that from which it originates. The concept of a pearl, which is a sphere, and the cyclic nature of the Eintou's structure capture this. The life of the Eintou begins with two syllables or words, expands as though growing and then returns to two syllables or words. In this fashion the Eintou never escapes its beginnings or history. It flows from, through, and ultimately returns to that from which it came.

Structure:
Line 1 - 2 words/syllables
Line 2 - 4 words/syllables
Line 3 - 6 words/syllables
Line 4 - 8 words/syllables
Line 5 - 6 words/syllables
Line 6 - 4 words/syllables
Line 7 - 2 words/syllables



NOTE ON THE PROCESS...
The first poem is done in syllables and the second is done with words. Personally I prefer to do words because visually it looks better on page.



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CROSS POST: new form every day... Envelope Sonnet (day 38 of 365 poems in 365 days) - 2011-02-07 16:25:00

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AS UNHAPPINESS TRAVELS

sadly the winds waft timeless over plains
contemplating regrets over choices
the days and nights of quickly made mistakes
and harshly judging turns the journey takes
talking in hushed tones in their quiet voices
describing in whispers the utter pain

in secret hush they gust in utter woe
carrying cries of lament as they blow

tarrying on memories far too sad
as though forever isn't long enough
to rage away the misery and grief
and yet they still gust to find a relief
they move as though purging with every puff
blustering this way to remove the bad




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From: http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/list.html


Envelope Sonnet

This is probably a variation of the Italian or Sicilian sonnet by the French, The original sonnets used an octave composed of two quatrains rhyming abba abba or abba cddc. It was probably the French fondness for linking stanzas, that conceived the idea of creating two sestets and linking them with a rhyming couplet. This gives a rhyme sequence of

a. b. c. c. b. a. .... d. d. .... e. f. g. g. f. e. and each line is octosyllabic (8 syllables) or decasyllabic (10).



PERSONAL NOTE ON THE PROCESS...
I wrote the rhymed lines on the outer of the stanzas first and then the 2nd rhyme second and filled in the middle couplet inside the stanzas last. Also... on some of the rhymes I came up with the rhyming words BEFORE making the lines. I just find it interesting how my mind works when I am trying to fit into a rhyme scheme.



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CROSS POST: new form every day... Envelope Quintet (day 37 of 365 poems in 365 days)

2011-02-06 09:49:00

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MORNING REVELATIONS

as the sun shines I am found inside myself
quietly and contently contemplating my days
the quickly moving and increasingly complex life maze
yet things are so good my smile stays
found inside myself is truth with a little help


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From: http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/list.html


Envelope Quintet

The Envelope Quintet is a natural progression of a four line poem to 5 lines. There are several ways this can be achieved and the Sicilian Quintain is an excellent one.

There are two other ways one of them is simply by turning the middle couplet into a triplet, giving a rhyming scheme of; a,.b,.b, b, a.



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CROSS POST: new form every day... Envelope Stanza (day 35 of 365 poems in 365 days)

2011-02-04 09:50:00

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THE DREAM UNREQUITED

at night she sleeps in fitful dreams of him
holding tight the thought of true love returned
against reality affection spurned
so in fantasy she chooses to swim


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From: http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/list.html


Envelope Stanza

This is a very interesting form and was probably created by Francesco Petrarcha when he moved from the Sicilian court. As well as being the building blocks of the Italian octave, the Spanish and French octave use it also. However, it is a poetry form in its own right, and probably the latter pair have set the precedence for the meter which if we look at the French or Spanish roots consists of eight syllables, or English purists insisting on Iambic Tetrameter. This gives a suggested pattern of:

x x x x x x x a
x x x x x x x b
x x x x x x x b
x x x x x x x a



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new form every day... Envelope Couplet (day 34 of 365 in 365)

2011-02-03 11:20:00

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UNLIKELY ALLIES

in the face of opression a common enemy binds
moving stark differences to the back of minds
former debaters now hand in hand
bitter arguments dropped together as one to stand
against this root of unity the tyrant finds
useless is the ax that grinds



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From: http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/list.html


Envelope Couplet

The Envelope couplet is a far stricter variation of the Stave Stanza, here the first and last line use the same refrain which starts and completes the stanzas of that poem. The second and fifth line of each stanza rhyme with the refrain lines. This leaves only the centre couplet to change its rhyme. The pattern for a three stanza work would be:

A1. a. b. b. a. A2.... A1. a. c. c. a. A2.... A1. a. d. d. a. A2....



PERSONAL NOTE ON THE PROCESS
For now I just did a single stanza... I may expound on this idea.



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new form every day... English Sestet (day 33 of 365 poems in 365 days)

2011-02-02 23:41:00

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TIME SPENT IN LOVER'S GRACE

for days we sat entranced with each other
such a lovely sweet poison that was us
accented bouts of bliss between lovers
rev'ling in skin, sweat, and pure nakedness
nothing too carnal for us to mention
nothing forbidden in our descretion


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From: http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/list.html


English Sestet

This sestet evolved from the popular Sicilian one and of course was made even more popular by Shakespeare who uses this sestet rhyme scheme in his sonnets. Iambic pentameter in the prefered meter for this form. Although it is mainly used as the turn or "Volta" in a sonnet, it can be used as a stand-alone vignette, or to consruct a ballad or a tale. The pattern is thus...

x X x X x X x a
x X x X x X x b
x X x X x X x a
x X x X x X x b
x X x X x X x c
x X x X x X x c



PERSONAL NOTE ON THE PROCESS...
this is pentameter yes, iambic not so much. And more near rhymes rather than perfect rhymes. Not self criticism but more observations in how I pulled this out of my butt at 11:36pm to get my form in for the day. :-P



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new form every day... English Quintain (day 32 of 365 in 365)

2011-02-01 08:12:00

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MUSCLE MEMORY

this feeling it does not fade with time
remembering a touch, a caresss
the pleasure and ecstacy sublime
moments in various states of undress
and pure carnal bliss


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From: http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/list.html


English Quintain

This is a popular form of Quintain having no set measure or foot and has a rhyming scheme of a. b. a. b. b.

The Quintain is an excellent base to work from for any longer poem (for example ballads). Two stanza, and we have a Sonnetina Cinque and several poets have added two couplets to two quintains in various ways and made a sonnet, although three Quintains could still qualify as a sonnet (with a tail).



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new form every day... Echo Sonnet (day 31 of 365 in 365)

2011-01-31 11:20:00

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GRAY MORNING

when the night from sleep has been finally torn
to be greeted by soft light is a trick
that makes the slumber in the eyes to stick
the clouds they hide the sun this deep gray morn
a new day stifles trying to be born
but half shine makes for desire to sleep
the bed's warmth and covers shelter to keep
the clouds they hide the sun this deep gray morn
the nights shroud it is still partially worn
the sun not allowed to herald the day
cumulus and nimbus get in the way
the clouds they hide the sun this deep gray morn
although shreds of night still try to be shorn
the clouds they hide the sun this deep gray morn


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From: http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/list.html


Echo Sonnet

This is a relatively new form devised by the well respected English Poet, Jeff Green. It takes its shape from three envelope quatrains and a couplet, the last line of each stanza is a refrain that links the quatrains and gives us a rhyme scheme of;
A, b, b, A1,…a, c, c, A1,…a, d, d, A1,…A, A1

The Echo Sonnet is based on French repeating forms, but unlike those forms which are normally syllabic, the preferred rhyme scheme is Iambic pentameter, or similar, and being a sonnet it should be presented as a 14 line poem.


(I write poems every day but don't always post them. I am a few days off on my form a day but I'M BACK again! :-P)



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new form every day... Dizain (day 28 of 365 in 365)

2011-01-28 22:43:00

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INVISIBLE



this friendship slowly slips away

or perhaps that is perception

maybe we just need a new day

to make another connection

and move in a new direction

I hold to hope like a life ring

wanting back the beautiful thing

the joy and comfort that was there

not this subtle disappearing

this gradual fading to air





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From: http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/list.html





Dizain



Although the Decastich or Sonnetina is a popular form, this one seems to have become neglected in favour of the others.

This was originally a French form and initially would have been made up of eight syllable lines, but later ten syllable lines were also used. A few examples of this form in England did prefer Iambic Pentameter, but that's purely up to the poet.

The rhyme scheme is: a. b. a. b. b. c. c. d. c. d.




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new form every day... Decuain (day 27 of 365 in 365)

2011-01-27 09:05

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A PRIOR LOVER (2)


I long for very particular tryst
and all of the delight in which we lay
that special turn with a delightful twist
the hands' touch, the lips' kiss, and the hips' sway
in middle of night or brightness of day
a special attention to make me sigh
secrets whispered never openly say
extreme tittlation to make me high
all places on body carfully kissed
this is the passion that I have so missed




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From: http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/list.html


Decuain

The Decuain (pronounced deck won), is 10 line (Decastich) form created by Shelley A. Cephas, and can be used for any subject.

The convention is iambic pentameter, and there are 3 choices of rhyme schemes

a b a bb c b c a a
a b a bb c b c b b
a b a bb c b c c c


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PERSONAL NOTE ON THE PROCESS....

The rhyme scheme of this is the first one in the list. I sincerely doubt that the pentameter on this poem is iambic, but it's what I have for now. :-P



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new form every day... Decastich (day 26 of 365 in 365)

2011-01-26 13:48

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A PRIOR LOVER

he lives in the shadow just to the left of my right eye
a particularly persistent ghost of days past
that fleeting moment barely worth the carnage
barely, but... definitely not regrettable
there were too many pieces of joy in that heartbreak
so often that I smiled and called him friend
every second our hands touched was bliss
he became my favorite drug of choice
the one that I ran to in spite of myself
withdrawal has certainly been hell


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From: http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/list.html

Decastich

According to Lewis Turco's "Book of Forms", the Decastich is any whole poem of 10 lines. There is no reference to meter or rhyme pattern and I would have thought because of its flexibility it would have encouraged experimentation of ideas. During further research into this form it was found that there was a plethora of variations to 10 line form. If Turco is to be taken literally this then means that the Decastich is 10 lines of free verse (Verse libre).



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