Day 22 PAD 2023

This poem is presented in its rough draft form for the PAD 2023 challenge and will be revised.

“What of a Breath?”

What of a breath? The first - the last
and all the ones in between that
we forget to count as we live
without guarantee of the next?

Hands shaking, chest too tight to breathe.
What of a breath? The first - the last.
Years of sweat and tears coming due.
Sweet taste of air when dreams arrive.

The one held before the first kiss
then lost when she smiles goodnight.
What of a breath? The first - the last.
Moments that change your views of life.

Holding hands as life fades away.
Too many questions to ask but
knowing that all you have is now.
What of a breath? The first - the last.

Poetic Form: Quatern

Poetic Form 10: Quatern

To Something

We all give our lives to something.

The hunger of chemicals draw

us to the edge of destruction.

So easy to buy a ticket 

for the ride. Making us forget,

we all give our lives to something.

The call of greed fills more than an

empty pocket. Handing over

our time like a purchase. Sorry,

no refunds for any item.

We all give our lives to something.

Loneliness and pain have a price.

But so does love and joy. We write

a contract with our days. Sign it

with each heartbeat and thought we have.

We all give our lives to something.

Poetic Form #10: Quatern

A quatern is a French poetic form that incorporates a refrain that follows the pattern: first line of the poem is the refrain, then the refrain appears in the second line of the second stanza; the third line of the third stanza, and finally the fourth (and final) line in the fourth stanza. The poem has 16 lines split into 4 quatrains. Each line is comprised of eight syllables, but there are no rules for rhyming.