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 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.