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)
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