The basic rhyming unit of Hebrew poetry is a complete thought. That "rhyme" isn't one of sound, but rather one of thought, for example:
I am weary to the bone.
Indeed, I am tired unto death.
Rhyming ideas isn't necessarily easier than rhyming words. In fact, it might be more difficult because it requires a certain finesse of phrasing and style.
For this post, you will compose a Hebrew-styled lyric. The basic structure will be as follows:
Part A (rhyming ideas about a certain topic/emotion/reality/etc.)
Pivot ("But....")
Part B (rhyming ideas that oppose/respond to/clarify/correct the content of Part A)
For example:
Several idea-rhymed couplets about how much school is breaking your spirit.
BUT several idea-rhymed couplets about what a privilege and gift it is to attend university.
Your poem can be serious, reflective, or onion-like sarcastic -- just be sure to follow the template above.
Parts A and B must each have at least 4 sets of rhyming couplets (i.e. 8 lines), so your final pome must be at least 16 lines long.
Ready - write!
Due by 11:59 on Monday, November 19th.
I weep as I endure the famine;
ReplyDeleteMy body slowly malnourished to Death’s brink.
But I can see my Savior in the distance,
Riding toward me in a blazing chariot of silver!
Alas, He is still so far from me in my desolate state
And I may not last to see His arrival.
However I will persevere, I must persevere;
I shall not submit to the pangs attacking my abdomen.
As He approaches closer and closer
I feel myself weaken further, ready to embrace Death.
But Death is not a friend, rather a being of submissive darkness.
To give up is to never find reward; I must stay strong.
O, the pain is too much to bear!
It slashes through me like a dagger!
But He’s here! By Divine Grace I am saved!
The Delivery Man has arrived.
-Micah Davis
The numbness hides the pain, for now.
ReplyDeleteIt is sure to come soon.
The pressure builds,
But the containment will hold.
This is an inevitable result;
A result of choices I made.
This is a repeated event,
One I continue to seek out.
But I would be sad;
Disappointment would abound.
If my feet were usable at the end,
The day would have been a waste.
I hope for more.
I pray for just one more round.
I dance through the pain,
And I love it.
I brace myself for the coming struggle;
ReplyDeleteI prepare for the difficulty ahead.
I steady my grip and steel my gaze;
I focus on steady hands and countenance.
I push against the machine;
It is a struggle that I wish would end.
I contemplate my choices and my life;
I wonder if I should give up this challenge.
And yet I think of the future;
My gaze is focused forward.
I know that through the struggle I will become stronger;
Though there is pain, there will soon be might.
This road is often difficult, but I press on;
Although it is not easy, I persevere.
For I know that through trial comes progress;
And through pain, comes triumph.
Luck in motion,
ReplyDeleteWhen the dice are cast.
Counting your odds,
And dancing with chance.
Having a goal,
So loosely pursued.
An adventure,
Left up to chaos.
It is not chance,
It is preset fate.
Outcomes are known,
Strings tied before birth.
What looks like luck,
Is predetermined.
Nothing random,
Just our destiny.
Fallen Soldiers as Heroes
ReplyDeleteHear me, crying out tired and in sadness,
From death and war: you ask me why
My naivety and innocence burned up in war’s madness --
My anger and disappointment comes out in an ugly cry.
Brave young men smashed, mangled and dead,
Those who survive whole are not unscathed;
Our humanity and sanity hang only by thread
I wonder if any of us can be saved.
Now I’ve said good-bye to the brave soldier,
I am no longer a warrior brave and strong:
My many courageous friends who were so much nobler,
I do my best to tell their story and sing their song.
I am alive and healthy, I do my best to right my wrong;
Maybe the absolution of living is to sing their songs?
Dom Oto
Turmoil and angst,
ReplyDeleteYou, almost throw it in my face.
I am hungry for more than this.
But, nothing gives sustinence.
I am tired.
But, never find peace and rest.
I am sad,
But find no joy in the hold of anger.
I am bound in anxiety,
Never, to find peace.
I am angry.
But, only at myself.
Where is this my forgiveness.
Am I only as good as you have shown your colors to be?
Why must I hold this weakness.
But, only to myself.
I lash against the bitterness and hate I hold.
But, it finds me in the dark when my soul is cold.
This Nightmare sitting on my chest,
No rest to be found.
The waves are strong.
ReplyDeleteCrashing upon the shore.
Rough and rigid storms coming in.
Dark skies and thunder.
Storms stir up the ocean.
Bringing shells upon the shore.
The teeth of the creatures float along the sands.
Why would the Lord do this with his own hands?
But, the storm is not ugly.
It is quite beautiful.
The waves are so meaningful.
when they begin to calm down
its peaceful all around
The ocean can calm the soul
making a person feel quite whole.
To go and spend my days in the sand,
Is where I feel that I belong.
Harvest Time:
ReplyDeleteCrisp Air and Colorful leaves create a magical scene
Representing the start of the harvest season
The ongoing battle between man and nature
Never goes as planned; Never persists without variability
A years worth of planning, a years worth of effort
Now in front of us, valued in grains of golden sun
Yet a gamble it is
A livelihood, a family rely's on this single bounty
Working with generations of old
The next one is sleeping to the hum of the tractor
This is the only time I see them
Long hours prepare me for the next day, and the next, and the next
From the smallest of seeds becomes the bounty of our lifestyle
I see the Gifts of God from the sunset views of my cab
Yet the sun took to much, it deprives the yield
And so I persist, I tighten the belt, better luck next year
golden locks in my hair that I curled for you
ReplyDeleteso much time to make sure every strand was in order,
I see you and can't resist to jump,
flipping my hair with a smile to see yours
We met wearing green and doing PT,
so obviously in uniform with each other,
but I like it better when your flannel matches my pink pea-coat
I love the way your cowboy boots tap my black heels
You'd never draw attention to your self
walking with soft confidence,
I walk with a picture of you in hand
wearing that infantry blue loudly so everyone sees
You love the way the wind grabs me and my balloon heart
pushes me to Rome and to you,
you're always there looking up, a little weight at the bottom
holding me down-- might as well call you gravity
A Midwest girl with a loud laugh and big tears
and an Italian boy with strong arms and a collected spirit
yet all of these buts and so much attraction
because I like pizza and you like how the snow turns my nose
cold
you were made to be a conqueror
a warrior who loves his brothers in arms
oh honey you blush when I say that,
Am I the only one that can make you melt?
Your gaze always finds mine,
sober you always had trouble saying what your eyes have for 3 years,
whiskey slowly replaces your black coffee
your ruffled cheek presses to mine
laughing and smiling, spinning me around,
I listen hanging onto every overdue word
"no honey I've always known,
It's okay don't be embarrassed"
You love me,
I've known since we were 19,
but you don't care for me like your country,
"Maybe when we're 30, Tay."
I am here,
ReplyDeleteI am present,
But my mind is still dwelling
on the past and not the present
Sixteen years
I have been here
But still in the shadows
we all still live
I am proud
of the woman I am
But I am hated
for being the color I am
I will succeed
my American dream
But they will just
have to deal, I am who I am.
The Lord himself goes before me
ReplyDeleteBut so often I stumble
He taught me to walk the narrow way
Yet still I choose a path that was broad
With mercy so sweet, he led me along
Yet still I sinned, a shameful fraud
The Lord directs my heart
But still I disregard his guidance
If I follow, though I cannot see him
He will still abide in me
While I was buried in sin
Still God’s shows his love
Though I was wrong
Jesus was a friend to me
Though still I may sin, and may have my flaws
Oh, help me to me enough for my God
Autumn’s visit this year is cut short;
ReplyDeleteLeaves fall and are soon buried by snow.
You may still hear their faint crunch if you stop to listen,
Crushed under boots taken out of the closet too soon.
Hats, scarves and mittens are prepared for battle;
We brave the cold in the strongest armor.
Indiana’s children are raised in weather unpredictable.
And winter's chilly embrace is a second home.
Some complain, and long for more southern latitudes,
they forget that the cold brings the holidays’ warmth.
Snowfall conducts choirs of Christmas bells,
And they ring loud enough to drown out the turkey’s gobble.
Still, many denounce winter’s icy reign,
But her early arrival is her promise to be fierce.
Near March, when spring begins to stretch and awake,
The icy kiss of snowflakes will coax her to back to sleep.
I'm packed up
ReplyDeleteEverything is in boxes
The car is full
Time for my adventure to begin.
A new beginning
A new place
I'm unknown to everyone
A perfect mystery.
I'm so far from home
Ten hours from everyone
I've left it all behind
I'm all alone.
I'm unpacked
I miss my old home
I can't go back
I'm immobile.
One day at a time, with its failures and fears
ReplyDeleteWith its hurts and mistakes with its weakness and tears
With its portion of pain and its burden of care
One day at a time to be patient and strong
To be calm under trial and sweet under wrong
Then its toiling shall pass and its sorrow shall cease
It shall darken and die, and the night shall bright peace
One day at a time, but the is so long
The heart is not brave, and the soul is not strong
Thou pitiful Christ, be thou near all the way
Give courage and patience and strength for the day
Swift cometh his answer, so clear and so sweet
Yes, I will be with thee, thy troubles to meet
I will not forget thee, Nor fail thee, nor grieve
I will not foresake thee, I never will leave
Annie Johnson
He turned the key
ReplyDeleteThe engine is now running.
All of his work was coming together
460 cubic inches of pure horsepower.
Today is the day
The time is now.
Everyone is lined up
Time to go to work.
Exhausts are growling
Turbos are screaming.
The anticipation increases
Everyone waits for the signal.
He brings up the power band
One hand on the wheel, the other on the stick.
The signal is given
The time is now.
He releases the clutch
Tires are screeching.
The moment has come
His work paying off.
The cold wind whips across my face;
ReplyDeleteIt bites and leaves its mark.
Grey blankets the earth;
The colorless sky seems to never end.
A snowflake catches my eye;
I watch as the white speck hits the ground.
I feel as if the world will never warm again;
Surely this frozen ground can never be thawed.
But as surely as time changes so the earth will once again feel the sun’s embrace;
Just when all hope is lost, the world will once again be kissed by warmth.
From the bare brown branches color will once again emerge;
Green, yellow, and pink will paint the world in vibrant shades.
The air will fill with the melody of spring;
The singing of birds will replace the silent cold.
Blue sky will pierce even the most frozen heart;
The colorful heavens will give nothing but hope for what is to come.
A weary soul, cold and cracked
ReplyDeleteWeathered by the storm inside
Searches for an unattainable peace
Yet she persists
Brown earth covers her feet as she travels on
No direction in sight
As the sun sets, the moon illuminates her world
She seeks solace in the stars
Rain coats her skin
Her feet sink into the cold earth
As the moonlight glimmers off the raindrops
She reaches to touch the stars
Constellations out of reach, she remains prisoner to this world
Bound to the ground as the sun dries the earth
She closes her eyes, seeking comfort in the darkness
Her storm is silenced, she sleeps at last
A historic season ends one game too soon.
ReplyDeleteDirty faces streaked by sweat and tears
All gave their all, seniors have played their last.
A final season, a great season, but still, it's over
Cheerleaders and warriors who have fought together for a lifetime
Standing on a worn and empty field.
Saying goodbye to Friday night lights.
And in a way each other, the beginning of the end
What a season though, and oh what a time.
Records and trophies and legends
Memories, friendships and adventures
All to be held and treasured for a lifetime.
Sitting in the stands and watching it unfold
Swallowing hard. Fighting back a tear. Remembering the hopes and fears.
I want to hold them and tell them they are right to be heartbroken that it's ending
But to be ever grateful that it was.
Life of a Corn Plant
ReplyDeleteThe soil is bare,
exposing a brown cultivated surface.
Seeds are hidden below,
but the potential starts to begins.
The summer breeze blows the green,
the little corn plants blow in the wind.
Knee high by the 4th of July,
the corn grows as the months go by.
A golden mist fills the fields,
when the tassels begin to pollinate the ear.
The white turns to gold,
as the kernels grow and mature.
The harvest moon lights the sky,
the shadow of the corn makes a silhouette of the night.
All good things must come to an end,
as the combine shells the golden seeds.
Bang! I step foot out the blocks
ReplyDeleteAs the gun shot is released.
My feet are transcending in the air.
Hitting the track with my spikes.
Gripping the baton in my hand.
As I'm racing toward my teammate.
Ripping through the gust of wind
Coming off the curve.
I feel my competitor on the side.
As my coach yells don't look back.
Kicking it up a notch.
While getting closer to the second leg.
She extends her arm eager to get the baton.
I smack it in her hand. Smack!
I let go and come to a stop.
I take a deep breathe, a sigh of relief.
The breeze blazing across my face
ReplyDeleteBlowing her hair all over the place
But all too soon the ride must come to a close
Since it’s time to bring this thing to a halt
As the engine purrs to a stop
It’s time to let her hop off
But it’s hard for me to realize that I’m making a mistake
My heart tells me one thing while my head disagrees
As I bid her farewell, I know it’s too soon
I wish so much more for an extra second or two
But as I mingle with the thought of calling her back one last time
It’s time to bid farewell for the final time
We were once an item that was bonded together
However we weren’t really meant for each other
But one last kiss I graze across her lips
To remember old memories as it brings a flush to our lips
I have passed unto the threshold
ReplyDeleteBeyond the yolk’s burden
Into the shadows I wander
Alone, in the chilled flesh
The grave beckons with
Warm loving hands
Yet the earth has need of me yet
To walk its narrow streams
And yet with each step towards
The rushing waters
My feet dwindle and slow
Before crossing the way back
Many live on the rich dirt
Without inhaling its scent,
I have lived beckoning the moon
And howling at the stars
If the poor in spirit are blessed
ReplyDeleteThen I am overflowing with grace
His mercy floods within my spirit
His benedictions surround my being
But I do not feel His blessings
There is no hope that I can see
Absolution appears invisible
Depression leaves my soul blind
Despite this feeling of isolation
I tell myself He never leaves me
Although I cannot see Him
I try to make myself believe
Maybe there’s more to this Beatitude
It’s possible that I am blessed
I am still alive right now
So there must be more to me than this
-Emily Geary
"One day I'll get it", A says to B
ReplyDelete"But today is not that day"
Days become weeks, weeks become months
Not a change A has made
B says to A "Why haven't you done it?"
"This just doesn't make any sense."
"Not yet", A says with a smirk
"Just give me one more day."
"It's not that hard" B snaps in frustration,
"It's been months and now your time is up!"
A murmurs "I can see just fine"
While reaching to light another candle
"I can do it myself" says B reaching high, eventually on tiptoes
to twist the new bulb into its socket after quite a delay
B plops down with folded arms refusing to look at A
Between laughs A manages to say "Then why were you waiting for me to change it?"