Darkness

Darkness, a velvety blanket
Silent and ominous
Punctuated by cicadas and crickets

Slumbering were the boisterous
Birds and monkeys
Curled up in dreams wondrous

Absent was the buzzing of bees
Industrious in their collection
Of pollen and nectar; flying carefree

Sambar deer observe with caution
Quiet; still as the night air
Hinds ready to offer fawns protection

A tiger watches a pair
Its striped pelt well hidden
A deer dinner was delectable fare

All of a sudden
The rustling of leaves
Movement was forbidden

Tension, thick enough to cleave
Muscles taunt; ears listening
And so the tale weaves

Hunter, so close, preparing
Breaks cover and leaps
On his quarry, pouncing

Timid fawn weeps
Brave hind blocks and kicks
Tiger suffers a gash; deep

He looks at his wound; licks
Slinks off in defeat
No dinner tonight; he’s got a nick

Stamping their feet
The deer bid him farewell
Till the next time they meet

Tonight, none fell
Tomorrow, nobody can tell

 

An original poem by
Khor Hui Min
30 August 2014

 

Poetic style

This poem was written in the style of a terza rima – an Italian form of poetry first used by Dante Alighieri.

A terza rima consists of stanzas of three lines (or tercets). It follows an interlocking rhyming scheme, or chain rhyme – the middle of each stanza rhymes with the first and last line of the following stanza. However, there is no set length to this form, as long as it follows the pattern as follows:

ABA
BCB
CDC
DED

The last stanza will be a couplet rhyming with the middle line of the previous stanza. In this case, EE.

So here is my poem again with the rhyming scheme shown:

Darkness

(A)  Darkness, a velvety blanket
(B) Silent and ominous
(A) Punctuated by cicadas and crickets

(B) Slumbering were the boisterous
(C) Birds and monkeys
(B) Curled up in dreams wondrous

(C) Absent was the buzzing of bees
(D) Industrious in their collection
(C) Of pollen and nectar; flying carefree

(D) Sambar deer observe with caution
(E) Quiet; still as the night air
(D) Hinds ready to offer fawns protection

(E) A tiger watches a pair
(F) Its striped pelt well hidden
(E) A deer dinner was delectable fare

(F) All of a sudden
(G) The rustling of leaves
(F) Movement was forbidden

(G) Tension, thick enough to cleave
(H) Muscles taunt; ears listening
(G) And so the tale weaves

(H) Hunter, so close, preparing
(I)  Breaks cover and leaps
(H) On his quarry, pouncing

(I)  Timid fawn weeps
(J) Brave hind blocks and kicks
(I)  Tiger suffers a gash; deep

(J) He looks at his wound; licks
(K) Slinks off in defeat
(J) No dinner tonight; he’s got a nick

(K) Stamping their feet
(L) The deer bid him farewell
(K) Till the next time they meet

(L) Tonight, none fell
(L) Tomorrow, nobody can tell

 

To read more about the terza rima poetic style, visit the Young Writers’ Website.