Musings on children's and YA literature, the academy, and the relationship between them, from an English professor and mother.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Poetry Friday: Terza Rima

I never do Poetry Friday posts, and I never participate in Tricia's Monday Poetry Stretches, either. Well, never say never. Here's my attempt at a poem in terza rima, a little Advent piece.

The season tells me wait: for grace, for love.
I hope, and wait, and watch, but sometimes all
Seems lost, It is, I know, a season of

The worst of excesses. A heavy pall
Falls over me. I aim for joy, for gifts
That mean the most, that answer to a call.

But as the day approaches, lost in “ifs”
And “ands”, and “buts”, and “had I but the time”
I cave, surrendering my hope to bits

Of colored glass, and trinkets, for their shine.
The glitter cannot last, I know; it fails
To give the deep-down joy of love. I dine

On disappointment mingled with the tail-
End of my hope. And then--a child, a toy, a light!
We make a moment: briefly, whole and hale.

5 comments:

  1. This made me pause and reflect a while. Kudos!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is just lovely. My favorite lines:

    I dine
    On disappointment mingled with the tail-
    End of my hope.

    Love the ending, too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This really speaks to how I've been feeling. All the trappings are sometimes so disappointing. We aim for joy and settle for shopping.
    But then a spark, a smile, some brief happiness is achieved in spite of us and our plans.

    Thanks for taking part in this today.

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's really good, and so true!

    ReplyDelete