Poetic Form 71: Seguidilla

 Should

Nothing feels the same now that

I forgot your skin,

the way your eyes filled my words

scribbled on the fringe.

I left those notebooks

in a damaged box taped shut

with a poem of should.

Poetic Form #71: Seguidilla

The Spanish form, Seguidilla, started as a dance song before becoming an

established poetic form. The poem has 7 lines with the following syllable count

for each line: 7-5-7-5-5-7-5. There is an assonance rhyme between lines 2 and 4

and another one between lines 5 and 7. There is a pause between lines 4 and 5

and a tone or focus changes between the same lines.

 

Poetic Form 70: Cascade

 This Poem

I give you these words

Punched out of my soul

To use as you wish

Every letter crafted with care

Even the spaces between are important

I give you these words

So we can hold time in place

Colored with emotions

Punched out of my soul

This is my present

Wrapped with a title

To use as you wish

Poetic Form #70: Cascade 

The Cascade form was invented by Udit Bhatia. The poem uses each 

line from the first stanza and makes those the final lines of each stanza

afterward. After that, there are no rules for rhyming, meter, etc.

I used a tercet form.

Poetic Form 69: Triversen

 Sledding

A winter day

filled with sun

too bright to see.

My daughters

small bundled colors

fly down a slope.

At times

I follow them

even at my age.

We fly 

together at times

crashing in joy.

Snow in boots

on gloves

melting on cheeks.

This is a moment

forever now

in our hearts.

Poetic Form #69: Triversen

The poetic form, Triversen, was developed by William Carlos Williams.

Each stanza equals one sentence. The sentence (stanza) breaks into 

three lines (each line is a phrase for the sentence). There is a variable 

2-4 beats per line. The poem is 18 lines (or 6 stanzas).

 

Poetic Form 68: Awdl Gywydd

 The Last Storm of 2020

As we slept, the snow fell from

clouds humming secrets. The night

kept the sun down an extra

minute. Electric the sight

of metal clouds, snow and rays

of light brazed across morning

routines. Plows beeping, a call

to arms. To all, a warning.

The year will not go gently

into twenty-one. A last

reminder of its death grip

on our kinship or love’s cast.

Poetic Form #68: Awdl Gywydd

The Welsh form, Awdl Gywydd, is interesting because of the internal

rhyme scheme. A stanza is four lines, with seven syllables per line. 

The final syllable of the first and third lines rhyme with the 3rd through

5th syllable of the following lines, while the second and fourth lines

rhyme. Here is a visual look at a stanza:

xxxxxxa

xxaxxxb

xxxxxxc

xxxxcxb

Poetic Form 67: Villanelle

 

Today in History

It’s hard living through history

Watching the days fill the pages

Never understanding glory 

No maps for this territory

All books burn in the dark ages

It’s hard living through history

Tomorrow is an allegory

Holding lock and key to cages

Never understanding glory

Today’s prayer for purgatory

Draws the thin line for war to rage

It’s hard living through history

Yesterday left a scar’s gory

Lesson to see life in stages

Never understanding glory

Only the clock’s auditory

Echo through time pays the wages

It’s hard living through history

Never understanding glory

Poetic Form #67: Villanelle

The villanelle consists of five tercets and a quatrain using a 

simple A / B rhyming scheme. The first and third lines of the first

stanza are refrains that repeat throughout the poem, alternating 

as the last line of the rest of the tercets. The final quatrain ends 

with the refrains. I created lines with 8 syllables. I found contradicting

information about having a set syllable rule for the lines.

Poetic Form 66: Ae Freislighe

Silent Night

I know what your emptiness

means for us in this moment.

Like a lost child’s faithfulness,

waiting for that wrapped present

under the tree, sorrowful

tears sting soft cheeks on Christmas.

Knowing there’s no tomorrow,

only a promise, because

I unwrapped your compromised

kisses under the darkness

of letters you plagiarized.

I know your love is starless.

Poetic Form#66: Ae Freislighe

The Irish poetic form, Ae Freislighe, is an intense rhyming form. It is 

constructed with quatrain stanzas (4-line stanzas) with 7 syllables 

per line. Lines 1 and 3 rhyme with three syllables (xxa) and lines 2 

and 4 rhyme with two syllables (xb). The final syllable, word, or line 

of the entire poem is the same as the beginning of the poem. The poem 

can be one stanza or as long as the poet wants.