When you are ready (Quatern)

This Quatern* Poem is another of several poetry forms that Bianca  & I are collaborating on. Bianca has written stanzas 2 and 4, and I have written stanzas 1 and 3.

¨

You will speak when you are ready

comforting you by listening

weeping over crackling phone line

silence with intermittent sobs

∞

When darkness falls and shadows pounce

You will speak when you are ready

Illuminate your room of grief

reveal the silver lining

∞

As morning light breaks through your gloom

Shrug that beast called past off your back

You will speak when you are ready

With clarity of heart and mind

∞

Your spirit will rise on birdsong

when you embrace what’s yet to come

Focus on the gold horizon

You will speak when you are ready

¨

© 2013 B.G. Bowers and Melanie Blackwell

*A Quatern is a sixteen line French form composed of four quatrains. It is similar to the Kyrielle and the Retourne. It has a refrain that is in a different place in each quatrain. The first line of stanza one is the second line of stanza two, third line of stanza three, and fouth line of stanza four. A quatern has eight syllables per line. It does not have to be iambic or follow a set rhyme scheme. line 1 line 2 line 3 line 4 line 5 line 6 (line 1) line 7 line 8 line 9 line 10 line 11 (line 1) line 12 line 13 line 14 line 15 line 16 (line 1)