First Line Friday -October 13th, 2017

The autumn chill descended over town
and with it came rot and ruin and chill
a place of gloom where people are let-down
through the night air a piercing whistle shrill
and the wolf prancing around with his kill
my heart seems to stop on this eerie night
canopy of bright stars above the hill
the howling wind, it’s time to fight or flight
and with this, am I having a meltdown?
too much stress, and I’m feeling being drown*

(c) ladyleemanila 2017

* The Decuain (pronounced deck•won), created by Shelley A. Cephas, is a short poem made up of 10 lines, which can be written on any subject. There are 10 syllables per line and the poem is written in iambic pentameter.

There are 3 set choices of rhyme scheme:

ababbcbcaa, ababbcbcbb, or ababbcbccc

For: First Line Friday -October 13th, 2017

Saturday Mix – Opposing Forces, 14 October 2017

as shallow as the tears in eyes
and as deep as the Grand Canyon
our love

below the line, some challenges
above all else, our love to share
outlook

as shallow as the pan frying
as deep as Pacific Ocean
trials

thankful for blessing above all
below that, accept what’s given
living

(c) ladyleemanila 2017

For: Saturday Mix – Opposing Forces, 14 October 2017

Thursday photo prompt – Tower – #writephoto

Old castle stood on rugged slope
British Celts, Romans, Jutes and Gauls
They used to live here, kings or pope
Moonlit snowdrifts piled against walls

Half ruined walls, their windows dark
Day and night of howling mistral
People come and stare, this landmark
Moonlit snowdrifts piled against walls

Castle crumbles in slow motion
Tell-tale signs of weathering falls
Centuries of history spun
Moonlit snowdrifts piled against walls

Old castle stood on rugged slope
Moonlit snowdrifts piled against walls*

(c) ladyleemanila 2017

* A Kyrielle Sonnet consists of 14 lines (three rhyming quatrain stanzas and a non-rhyming couplet). Just like the traditional Kyrielle poem, the Kyrielle Sonnet also has a repeating line or phrase as a refrain (usually appearing as the last line of each stanza). Each line within the Kyrielle Sonnet consists of only eight syllables. French poetry forms have a tendency to link back to the beginning of the poem, so common practice is to use the first and last line of the first quatrain as the ending couplet. This would also re-enforce the refrain within the poem. Therefore, a good rhyming scheme for a Kyrielle Sonnet would be:

AabB, ccbB, ddbB, AB -or- AbaB, cbcB, dbdB, AB.

For: Thursday photo prompt – Tower – #writephoto

Tweet!

PHOTO POMPT © Douglas M. MacIlroy

first thing in the morning I hear
tweet that gives cheer
time for his feed
then to be freed

happy to be flying around
glad for the sound
my companion
we have such fun

sometimes he sits on my shoulder
then we amble
around village
over the bridge*

(c) ladyleemanila 2017

* The Minute Poem is rhyming verse form consisting of 12 lines of 60 syllables written in strict iambic meter. The poem is formatted into 3 stanzas of 8,4,4,4; 8,4,4,4; 8,4,4,4 syllables. The rhyme scheme is as follows: aabb, ccdd, eeff

For: 13 October 2017 Friday Fictioneers

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

Music Prompt #13: Snow Patrol – “Run” #musicchallenge #amwriting #music

You are a bright star in my struggle
I sigh and push my fringe back
You lighting up my road on my way
Lifting my spirit my good old Jack

I have no other star, just you
With you, my world is complete
On my way, you lighting up my road
With you by my side, isn’t life sweet?

We can weather the storm as I swirl
My hero, a mystery
You lighting up my road on my way
Then we can have a nice pot of tea

You are in charge of my light brigade
You hold the key to my heart
On my way, you lighting up my road
I cannot bear us to be apart*

(c) ladyleemanila 2017

* The ZaniLa Rhyme, a form created by Laura Lamarca, consists 4 lines per stanza.
The rhyme scheme for this form is abcb and a syllable count of 9/7/9/9 per stanza.
Line 3 contains internal rhyme and is repeated in each odd numbered stanza.
Even stanzas contain the same line but swapped.
The ZaniLa Rhyme has a minimum of 3 stanzas and no maximum poem length.

For: Music Prompt #13: Snow Patrol – “Run” #musicchallenge #amwriting #music , Wordle 320 Oct 7 by brenda warren , Sunday Writing Prompt #223

Sonnet XVI by Pablo Neruda

I love the handful of the earth you are.
Because of its meadows, vast as a planet,
I have no other star. You are my replica
of the multiplying universe

Your wide eyes, are the only light I know
from extinguished constellations;
your skin throbs like the streak
of a meteor through rain.

Your hips were that much of the moon for me;
your deep mouth and its delights, that much sun;
your heart, fiery with its long red rays,

was that much ardent light, like honey in the shade.
So I pass across your burning form, kissing
you – compact and planetary, my dove, my globe.

Reena’s Exploration Challenge #Week 7 – Thought that becomes a belief

Everything that we do comes back to us
Good or bias, other ways will come back
In your sack, a consequence that’s a plus
As a bonus, we’re given what we lack

I’ve always believed this and all
And when you call, I will be there
I’ll do well without expecting
For what it brings, it’s fine

I’m my worst when I don’t believe
I could deceive you if you whine
I might not be fair and square
And if you care, I’d shine

I think this is true for there is karma
There is Buddha, God and other deities
Among all these, we follow their dogma
If there’s contra, there’s a bit of squeeze

So let’s try to be good without a fuss
On this basis, we’re ready for feedback
As we snack, happy that it’s scrumptious
With awareness, we can improve feedback*

(c) ladyleemanila 2017

* The LaJemme is a 5 stanza form created by poets Laura Lamarca and Jem Farmer.

Meter: consistently iambic

Stanza 1, 10 syllables per line, Rhyme scheme abab, 4th syllable of each line is to rhyme with the end rhyme of the preceding line.

Stanza 2, syllable count: 8/8/8/6, Rhyme scheme cdef, with cross rhymes in each couplet on 4th syllable

Stanza 3, syllable count 8/8/8/6, Rhyme scheme gfdf, 4th syllable of each line follows the same rule as stanza 1.

Stanza 4, 10 syllables per line, Rhyme scheme hihi, 4th syllable of each line is to rhyme with the end rhyme of the preceding line.

Stanza 5, 10 syllables per line, Rhyme scheme abab, 4th syllable of each line is to rhyme with the end rhyme of the preceding line.

For: Reena’s Exploration Challenge #Week 7