Friday, May 6, 2011

Vicious Cycle (Quatern)

I find that I must start again,
a single step and I begin
along this old, familiar road
that time is starting to erode.

I pause to look around, and then
I find that I must start again.
It seems this path will never end--
can’t even make it 'round the bend.

I push myself to motivate,
and though the hour is getting late--
I find that I must start again,
and pull my strength from deep within.

Set faster pace, I am hell-bound…
determined not to lose my ground.
I reach my goal, but just can’t win
I find that I must start again.
© Copyright Ginny Brannan May 2011

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 fourth line of stanza four. A quatern has eight syllables per line. It does not have to be iambic or follow a set rhyme scheme.
One Shot Poetry Wednesday Week #45 5/10/11

11 comments:

  1. The message in this one is spot-on and you've done an exceptional job with the form. The rhyme, meter...all flows so well. I really like it that you explain the "how-to" as well. Another one I have to try. Thank you.

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  2. as is often the case in life...it is the starting again that is important and not giving in to the gravity that pulls us back...keep starting

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  3. ha - nice ginny to see your quatern again...think it's important to always start anew and let us not hold back from our past..

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  4. I can totally relate...very nice thank you..nice to meet you at One Stop..bkm

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  5. I can relate to this as well. great write

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  6. It sounds all to familiar! Nice quatrains too Ginny :o)

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  7. thought I already commented on this one...maybe on another page...anyway, well writen and I still like it

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  8. Very nicely written! The starting again, and again... reminds me of a poem I had to memorize in 3rd grade- "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again!"

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  9. Don't know what happened to my previous comment...but really like this one Ginny.

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  10. Nice one! Sorry it took so long for my comment, but I had the Blogger Blues. I hope it's fixed now. Thanks for the Quatern lesson. Always like to learn new forms.

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Thank you for reading my poetry and sharing your thoughts.