My first attempt at the Pantoum form of poetry |
The Cosmic Masquerade Ball Awestruck, I gaze into Night’s bejeweled face, Infinite range, there’s no end to it all, Pass countless stars that dwarf the human race, This life’s but a cosmic masquerade ball. Infinite range, there’s no end to it all, Imbibe from the chalice of free willed thought, This life’s but a cosmic masquerade ball, Counter earth-bound dogma carefully taught. Imbibe from the chalice of free willed thought, Souls on a journey beyond birth and death counter earth-bound dogma carefully taught; Arms open wide; I’m hopeful, out of breath. Souls on a journey beyond birth and death pass countless stars that dwarf the human race; Arms open wide; I’m hopeful, out of breath, Awestruck, I gaze into Night’s bejeweled face. Note: This poem is written in the Pantoum form, which consists of a series of quatrains rhyming ABAB in which the second and fourth lines of a quatrain recur as the first and third lines in the succeeding quatrain; each quatrain introduces a new second rhyme as BCBC, CDCD. The first line of the series recurs as the last line of the closing quatrain, and the third line of the poem recurs as the second line of the closing quatrain, rhyming ZAZA. [ This poem won third place in the "Invalid Item" , August 2008 ] Special thanks to Michelle Jane for introducing me to this intriguing poetry style! |