Villanelle-
In the windless night she spoke and told me tales of home
Now I have gone with her to lie
in the land beneath the stone
Do not be sad when you awake
And find you are alone
In the windless night she spoke and told me tales of home
Here no one is lonesome- even when alone
Your voices keep us company
In the land beneath the stone
The river whispers memories
of days of joy and woe
In the windless night she spoke and told me tales of home
I walk somedays along the bank of that river fresh and cold
And wait for you to join me
In the land beneath the stone
So do not fear when the sky grows dark
And the seas begin to grow
For I’ll be there to greet you
In the land beneath the stone
Narrative
Clank! Rang the steel, of two brothers
Fighting between each other
With only the company of a snow peaked mountain
The cold sunrise of dawn
The brothers dueled on the mountain
Over separate ideals
Crash! Dante swung true
Viciously, but also with remorse
Not wishing to fight Vergil
But knew he must
Slice! Vergil swung with calculation
Relentlessly, with a mixture of calmness and anger
The sibling rivalry continues
Not knowing when it shall end.
Sestina
Towards the middle of senior year now
A new group of friends together
Hanging out for the first time
Started some of the best friendships in her life
Her first real friends ever
The beginning of something new
The feeling of something never felt before, something new
She is finally hanging out with friends now
Never felt this comfortable around anyone ever
She loves the feeling she gets when they’re all together
There is only one other person that makes her feel like this in her life
These friends came into her life at the perfect time
They hung out every weekend after work around the same time
She didn’t do this much before, this was new
Always having alone time, this was something that made her happy in her life
She doesn’t have all this time to let her mind consume her now
She enjoys not being alone all the time, finally being with others, together
She feels more completed as a person now than ever
Loving her life more than ever
Surrounded by people all the time
She loves being with others in general, always together
These friendships, starting a chapter that is new
Finally showing her true personality to these people now
Something she’s been hiding for years, something that is her whole life
Every weekend they do something different, something new to look forward to in her life
She loves her friends who are down for anything ever
The kind of friends she’s been wanting for years and she has them now
Having tons of fun when they hang out every time
She loves being with the same people, but always doing something new
No matter what, they will always be together
The thought of always being together
The things she's most grateful for in life
Her friends falling in that category, this is new
She has only had a mixture of family and music in there ever
She loves to have something new at this point in time
Finally ready to be herself now
She loves her life now
All the time alone gave her, and her mind, freedom, now it’s time
It is time to be herself now, always and ever.
Epistle
Dear, my sweet Sally
Today, we played until we could no more
Our legs ached from the pain
But we could care less
Because in those moments it felt like we were invincible
You are my companion
Forever by each other's side until our light breaks
Dear, my sweet Sally
Today, I raced you down the lane
Our legs crushed the ground
As we fought for first
At this moment I realized
That even in a lonely world I still have you
Dear, my sweet Sally
Today, we found out that your hearing has decayed
But don't worry
I’ll still sit with you and whisper sweet things
While I pet your soft yellow fur
As your eyes drift into slumber
And a sense of comfort wraps around our fragile bodies
Dear, Sally
Today, Dad told me the truth
Your line between life and death is becoming blurred
I sit with you one last time to whisper those words that were far from your touch
I wished you could have heard my voice at least once that night
As I pet you carefully with tears breaking through
Why do you have to leave me I still need you
Dear, Sally
I’m Sorry
I broke our promise
I couldn’t be by your side before you die
I didn’t want to watch the last light in your eyes go out
So instead I watched as they drove off with you until you were out of my sight
And I waited
I hated that I hope that maybe just maybe you will come back
But once the car showed once more realization hit
We will never play again
No more racing down the lane
And no more sitting and talking
You’re gone
And I wasn’t there for you
Like you were for me
Tanka
Strangers once lovers
Finding distractions from hurt
Love that turned into habit
Broke habit by broken boy
Memories fading away
Orange leaved covered tree
Time flew by viewing beauty
Curvy road with leaves
Crunch as you drive along road
Sun peaking through the bare trees
Peaceful and alone
Back leaning against the bark
Pen scribbling ink
Viewing nature in the woods
Lost in the drawing mindset
EPISTLE: A Stranger Saved Me
One.
Do you remember?
I do.
I had hoped that one day I would step into an art gallery,
And lock eyes with a beautiful stranger.
Two.
I walked into an art gallery,
And we locked eyes.
You went one way,
While I went the other.
Three.
I sought out a painting with a ship to steer.
One of the cool pirate ones
With large sails,
And unimaginable arcs with masts
Taller than the eiffel tower.
I stood at the top,
Contemplating the fall.
Four.
I didn’t jump.
Instead, I climbed down the mast
To fight off the plague below.
I then thrived as I fought with the mastered three sword style.
Funny way to fight off a plague, is it not?
But I was the one that arrived victorious n’ on top.
Five.
Time to trudge through the bodies that
Fell victim to the murderer.
I have to save my family.
I’m sneaking into the captain’s quarters.
Please don’t wake up.
Six.
Yeah, okay.
A part of me wished that the captain would’ve awaken.
She (I mean I) wish she didn’t make it out alive.
I now have the remedy though.
Seven.
I’m climbing the mast as the ship’s musician plays
A hollow song on a violin so widowed and beautiful.
Ya-uh-uh-oh.
The waves grow taller.
Jumping wouldn’t be so bad.
A lost life and a lost remedy.
Ya-uh-uh-oh.
So much for saving family, huh?
Eight.
Now do you remember?
A hand on my shoulder.
You raised the waves like the god of the sea,
And crashed them over deck.
You pulled me from the mast.
No more beautiful crying hollow,
Ya-uh-uh-oh
Nine.
I’m breaking down
On a marble floor,
In front of the too relatable painting, circa 1700—1705,
Ships in a Stormy Sea off a Coast by the too under rated, Ludolf Bakhuizen.
The painting had so much potential for a better name.
Ten.
And the beautiful stranger,
you, who went the other way,
Picked me up off the floor.
Eleven.
You are the stranger who saved me.
What a beautiful piece to add to an already beautiful painting,
Eleven
To the beautiful broken stranger who saved me,
Who cried with me,
Who broke down in front of the painting with me,
Please get me out of this painting.
Sestina
Freshman year went by fast
Nothing to exciting
Covid hit hard
Everything was shut down
Everyone had to wear masks
Couldn’t see anyones face
F. All the hard things we had to face
My school year went by fast
I hated wearing masks
Being at home wasn’t exciting
Everyone was about to have a break down
Life was hard
Learning was hard
We couldn’t be face to face
My grades went down
I tried to get everything done fast
It was getting exciting
Getting to go out but with masks
I can’t breath with masks
It was hard
We went back to school which was exciting
I still couldn’t see anyones face
We moved and I adjusted fast
My confidence went down
I laid down
I dreamed to have no masks
I woke up fast
Junior year was hard
I start to remember everyones face
We stopped wearing mask and that was exciting
I was so excited
Six months down
4 months til people forget my face
A full year with no masks
Moving is gonna be hard
4 years went by fast
Just that fast
It was that hard
One minute masks and the other minute no masks