Quatrain

[darkmaas]

Recently there was a poetry contest in a magazine published by Canada’s “other” national newspaper. It looked like fun and should appeal to those who enjoy the challenge of poetic form. (I am still struggling with my first sonnet so that leaves me out but … )

The rules are simple:

Readers were invited to write a poem by choosing a different word for each of the numbers 1 to 8, with at least one being “and”, and plugging their word choices into the following four line sequence:

1 2 3 4 5
8 4 6
6 8 1 3 5
5 4 7

That’s it. Those of you who feel numerically challenged must not worry. The numbers don’t have to add up. Those of you appalled by the high cost of adverbs need not be afraid. You only need but seven words and “and” (and none of them need be an adverb).

To whet your appetite, here are the three contest winners:

Gerard Gouthro wrote:

Beowolf Before Battle

Burn and seek the challenge
Not the rest.
Rest not! Burn! Seek challenge!
Challenge the best.

Elizabeth Fawcett wrote:

Tales of a Vampire

I am cursed and alone
Bitten and white
White, bitten, I cursed alone
Alone and frightened.

Rachel Simpson’s Grade 11 Media English Class (who are all too young to personally appear here) wrote:

In Rememberance of the Tsunami

Waves crashed and covered all,
people covered forever.
Forever people, waves and all-
All covered eternally.

Those of you who want a stiffer challenge should consider (like Mr. Gouthro) making 6 and 7 rhyme.

Those of you who doodle double acrostics before your morning coffee, might want to try the darkmaas “make-mine-a-double” quatrain:

1 2 3 4 5
8 4 6
6 8 1 3 5
5 4 7

2 3 5 4 6
7 4 5
5 7 2 3 6
6 4 8

Enjoy

 

[Liar]

That was tricky. Here's the best I could do. A bit on the sappy side, but what the hell, it rhymes.


You chant "Must never forget",
and never live.
Live and you must forget.
Forget, never forgive.

 

[darkmaas]

Damn that was quick. It rhymes and given the restraints imposed it ain't that sappy.

 

[postobitum]

This was kinda hard!

But way fun, here goes:

Mindless

Trap! Blink…cold and blistering,
watching and terrible.
Terrible watching trap, cold blistering.
Blistering and delicious.


Now here's hoping I didn't get the word order mixed up while I was patting myself on the back!

 

[Liar]

An Art Forgotten

Pantomime pariahs and silver static,
silent silver wills,
wills silent pantomime and static,
static silver thrills.

 

[Angeline]

It's late

and I'm tired, but it's a darkmaas thread, after all.

I haven't a clue whether I've done it right, but I tried, d. lol. ee gave me the words and I flung them around. I'm just a vessel, or a vestal or something.



Reno's shotgun twelvestring. I hear
and I bend.

Bend and Reno's shotgun. Hear.
Hear I was.

 

[eagleyez]

and I'm tired, but it's a darkmaas thread, after all.

I haven't a clue whether I've done it right, but I tried, d. lol. ee gave me the words and I flung them around. I'm just a vessel, or a vestal or something.



Reno's shotgun twelvestring. I hear
and I bend.

Bend and Reno's shotgun. Hear.
Hear I was.

Hell, I just thought a Quatrain should have a Johhny Cash thing.

First I heard when she mentioned it, was "Folsom City."

The ones above are very fun to read aloud. Nice thread DM and the rest. "I hear that train a comin, its rollin round the bend,....."

 

[BooMerengue]

When I first did this it was worse than senseless. I moved just the words 'the' and 'and' around and it was still really pitiful. here it is...

deep the sky and low
forest and pale
pale forest deep sky low
low and wail

the sky low and pale
wail and low
low wail the sky pale
pale and forest

After my 4th shot and a beer, I realized it needs punctuation. (slaps head of dumb broad!)

Forest Lament

Deep the sky and low
forest. And pale,
pale forest. Deep sky? Low!
Low and wail!

The sky low and pale;
Wail and low!
Low! Wail! The sky pale ~
pale and forest.

Now. Is that better? Believe it or not it makes sense to me now. But I don't know if thats Jack and Bud talking, or if it just does. Do I need to quit drinking?

(an enquiring mind wants to know...)

 

[Angeline]

That jazz voice, my music--
speak my life.
Life speak the voice, music,
music my and

 

[The Mutt]

Lips and tongue, wet warm,
drink wet thighs,
thighs drink lips, tongue warm,
warm, wet taste.

 

[Remec]

Readers were invited to write a poem by choosing a different word for each of the numbers 1 to 8, with at least one being “and”, and plugging their word choices into the following four line sequence:

1 2 3 4 5
8 4 6
6 8 1 3 5
5 4 7

Hmm...let's see...<rummaging about, scribbling, erasing, plotting> Alright...first stab at a finished item:

******

Us

Call and you are mine;
Spirits are soaring;
Soaring spirits call you mine;
Mine are roaring.

 

[darkmaas]

Boo queried:

Do I need to quit drinking?

(an enquiring mind wants to know...)

This came out frighteningly upbeat for so early in the day...


Quaff deeply, laugh and sing.
Dance and rhyme!
Rhyme dance quaff laugh sing!
Sing and embrace!


... even though it isn't yet noon, best make mine a double.

 

[flyguy69]

Hell, I just thought a Quatrain should have a Johhny Cash thing.

First I heard when she mentioned it, was "Folsom City."

The ones above are very fun to read aloud. Nice thread DM and the rest. "I hear that train a comin, its rollin round the bend,....."

This fiery ring and smoky
voice, and June.
June, voice this ring smoky,
smoky and black.

Fiery ring; smoky, and June
black and smoky.
Smoky, black, fiery ring: June.
June, and voice.

 

[darkmaas]

Well I'll be be kicked by an amorous mule!

That's two make-mine-a-doubles in less than 10 hours. And flyguy riffin' on ol' EE's suggestion. Dang and double dang. I take mah flyspecked hat off to the both of you.

 

[flyguy69]

Well I'll be be kicked by an amorous mule!

That's two make-mine-a-doubles in less than 10 hours. And flyguy riffin' on ol' EE's suggestion. Dang and double dang. I take mah flyspecked hat off to the both of you.

Yes, but mine is a piece of shit.

Of course, I love shit. But not as much as I love Margaret. Sweet-smelling Margaret....

 

[Angeline]

Boo queried:


This came out frighteningly upbeat for so early in the day...


Quaff deeply, laugh and sing.
Dance and rhyme!
Rhyme dance quaff laugh sing!
Sing and embrace!


... even though it isn't yet noon, best make mine a double.

Hee hee hee. Stop your
quaffing. Stop and write!
Write quaffing. Hee hee your...
your...stop...laughing.

 

[BooMerengue]

Boo queried:


This came out frighteningly upbeat for so early in the day...


Quaff deeply, laugh and sing.
Dance and rhyme!
Rhyme dance quaff laugh sing!
Sing and embrace!


... even though it isn't yet noon, best make mine a double.

Aahhh, my good man... If you want a double you must make it a double... here's the glass.

1 2 3 4 5
8 4 6
6 8 1 3 5
5 4 7

2 3 5 4 6
7 4 5
5 7 2 3 6
6 4 8

Fill it up!

 

[Guest]

I'm not sure I've quite got it.....

We look and find rhyme
Or reason too.
Look! Reason and rhyme
We find two.

so...have I?

 

[ruminator]

With apologies for content...

wrong!


grumble....I'll be back

try again

two knew no love more
find love here
here find two no more
more love too

 

[Angeline]

With apologies for content...

wrong!


grumble....I'll be back

try again

two knew no love more
find love here
here find two no more
more love too

What a bitch, isn't it?
Darkmaas damn him!
Him! Darkmaas What bitch? It!
It and this.

 

[wildsweetone]

hmm this takes some practise!

white rose blooms and fade
dark and dusky
dusky dark white blooms fade
fade and die

 

[Guest]

Ach!

My head aches and throbs,
too hard this.
This, my hard head throbs
and aches too

 

[Angeline]

My head aches and throbs,
too hard this.
This, my hard head throbs
and aches too

Telling myself just write quatrains.
Try. Write poems,
poems, try telling just quatrains,
quatrains, write and....


thud

 

[ruminator]

This is like climbing blindfolded on monkeybars. I like it.

attempt better words our test
reflect our revisions
revisions reflect attempt words test
test our progress

 

[Liar]

Resent an extent accent accident
and accent lament.
Lament and resent extent accident.
Accident accent? Repent!