Dried sunflowers athwart the man

– Denise Kwong

THIS WEEK’S WORDS come from “This Is No Case of Petty Right or Wrong” by Edward Thomas: petty, hate, patriot, athwart, cauldrons, clear, yesterday, miss, broods, dust, live, endure

Dried sunflowers athwart the man
A patriot that’s clear
He had to endure what he can
Hates the dust, that’s his fear
A petty life he has to live
Missing fresh air that’s admissive
A petty life
A petty life
He broods, hope he’s more assertive

Dried sunflowers athwart the man
It happened yesterday
Stirring the cauldron as he can
Adding some herbs and whey
Such a tough life he has to lead
And all the world is full of greed
Such a tough life
Such a tough life
Time for a change we have agreed

Dried sunflowers athwart the man
So toxic he can’t breathe
Doesn’t think he will have his clan
To pass what he bequeath
What has just happened to the world?
Transformation to be unfurled
What has happened?
What has happened?
It’s best to live in our dream world*

(c) ladyleemanila 2017

* The Trijan Refrain, created by Jan Turner, consists of three 9-line stanzas, for a total of 27 lines. Line 1 is the same in all three stanzas, although a variation of the form is not to repeat the same line at the beginning of each stanza. In other words, the beginning line of each stanza can be different. The first four syllables of line 5 in each stanza are repeated as the double-refrain for lines 7 and 8. The Trijan Refrain is a rhyming poem with a set meter and rhyme scheme as follows:

Rhyme scheme: a/b/a/b/c/c/d,d refrain of first 4 words of line five /c

Meter: 8/6/8/6/8/8/4,4 refrain/8

For: Photo Challenge #184, Whirligig 132