The Battle

Winner of 3rd place in "Invalid Item" , Terzanelle round.

The shadows dance across the pale moonlight,
and winds of change are blowing; lo! The storm!
For ‘tis the hour to bear arms and fight.

The leaves are green but ready to transform
once winter witches come forth from their sleep.
And winds of change are blowing; lo! The storm!

The kingdom waits for summer hands to reap;
then into hiding they will surely go,
once winter witches come forth from their sleep.

The seer comes to deliver the blow—
the plague has stricken knights strategically;
then into hiding they will surely go.

A farmer lad emerges, King to see—
a plan is drafted for the kingdom’s fate;
the plague has stricken knights strategically.

Thus, for the witches, farmers lie in wait.
The shadows dance across the pale moonlight.
A plan is drafted for the kingdom’s fate;
for ‘tis the hour to bear arms and fight.

***

Form: Terzanelle. It consists of five stanzas of three lines (tercets), and the final stanza having four lines (quatrain). The middle line of the first stanza is copied and becomes the last line of the following stanza and the first line of that stanza rhymes with it, thus making it an interlocking form. The final stanza follows the same pattern, with the first line of the first stanza becoming the second line of the last stanza and the last line of the first stanza becoming the last line of the last stanza, completing the link back to the first stanza.