Poetic Form 88: Ovillejo

 

Doubt

What word do you fear in the dark?

Doubt, loud and stark.

Why do your hands shake as you write?

I am finite.

When will there be a sense of joy?

Just a decoy.

Words fall from open wounds. Nothing

stops the harassment echoing 

between the blue lines, narrowing

doubt, loud and stark. I am finite, just a decoy.

Poetic Form #88: Ovillejo

The ovillejo form is a Spanish form popularized by Miguel de Cervantes 

(1547-1616). This 10-line form consists of three rhyming couplets 

and a quatrain. The first line of each couplet is 8 syllables long, presenting 

a question that the second line (3 or 4 syllables) responds to as an answer

or an echo. The quatrain has a cddc rhyme pattern. The final line combines 

lines 2, 4, and 6 together.

The form looks like this:

Line 1: a rhyme in 8 syllables

Line 2: a rhyme in 3-4 syllables

Line 3: b rhyme in 8 syllables

Line 4: b rhyme in 3-4 syllables

Line 5: c rhyme in 8 syllables

Line 6: c rhyme in 3-4 syllables

Line 7: c rhyme in 8 syllables

Line 8: d rhyme in 8 syllables

Line 9: d rhyme in 8 syllables

Line 10: (Line 2) (Line 4) (Line 6)

 

Poetic Form 84: Luc Bat

 Two Way Mirror

Life, a two way mirror. 

Yesterday’s pain is clear to see.  

Tomorrow is not free 

for us to view. When we turn our   

eyes, the heart can cower. 

Each reflection a dower of time. 

We can spend a lifetime

wanting the chance to climb again 

the paths walked. But it's vain, 

bringing a crippling pain that costs 

a life that could have crossed 

out the doubt that softly kills 

the light we try to fill 

our room with. Embrace chills from not 

seeing past the mirror slot 

that only shows your spot here and 

now. There is no refund 

to collect. No trust fund to use 

to buy a life disused.

Poetic Form #84: Luc Bat

The luc bat is a Vietnamese form that translates to "six-eight."  A poem consists 

of alternating lines of six and eight syllables. This form has an interesting rhyme 

scheme as shown below.

xxxxxA

xxxxxAxB

xxxxxB

xxxxxBxC

xxxxxC

xxxxxCxD

xxxxxD

xxxxxDxE

The poem starts and ends on a six syllable line. There are no rules for length or subject matter. 

Poetic form 22: Palindrome

Tomorrow?

Today feels rough,

hate runs doubt.

Mouths filled with

painted lines to divide.

Fences or shields, only

questions drop;

can we

love?

We can.

Drop questions.

Only shields or fences

divide to lines painted

with filled mouths.

Doubt runs hate

rough; feels today.

Poetic Form #22: Palindrome

A palindrome poem has a few variations but the basic idea is to use the same words in the first 
half of the poem as the second half with a central word to flip the poem at.