The tetractys poetic form was devised by the late Ray Stebbing as a grammatical 20 syllable verse of 5 lines.Syllable sequence 1,2,3,4 & 10.Each line to stand on its own,as in my example Ichthys below.The challenge is to express a complete thought,profound or comic,witty or wise within the 20 syllables.The tetractys can be doubled or inverted.
ICHTHYS
White
blossom,
a welcome
springtime emblem,
the foretaste of succulent fruit to come.
BLUE NUDE-Matisse
Her
figure
created
stark sensations,
aroused by the simple blue cut-out shapes
NATAL THERAPY
To
forget
those bygones
done and dusted,
lost,forgiven and now forever gone.
SHORT MEASURE
Eye
poems
displaying
a shapely form-
exempting audition from needless stress.
SUMMER BALL
Love
blossomed
suddenly
that evening
they met by chance,in the 'excuse me' dance.
RENEWAL
Rain
upon
frozen earth,
metamorphised,
now emerging as bluebells in the glade.
REVERIE
Way
beyond
bygone's reach,
ambitions lay
buried deep in his forgotten dreams.
Rain
falling
while sun shines.
Garden . . . glistens
with fragile raindrops pooling and dripping.
When it is the long weekend for the fireworks
The fireworks begins when the sky is darken
Some people gather in parks to watch fireworks
Others just watch fireworks from their homes
It last till the early morn
When people try to sleep
Noise on pets
They are scared
Whining
Scared
hate,
cruel
acid that
corrodes the soul
and turns it as black as coal if carried
too long in one's heart; hate can be unlearned,
driven out with...
love should it
consume
thee
Blue
Cotton
Wings dusting
The domed ceilings
Forgotten records in halls of the dead
Mint
Flavored
Emotions
Chomping on heart
I can no longer be the one you trust
Fear
Collides
With secrets
Hidden away
Just look within the yellow envelope
Debts
Drowning
Swallowed by
The vicious streets
Stay hidden within the shadow people
Trust
She's lost
No more threats
Slammed the door shut
More false accusations from her warped mind
It is raining pitter, patter,pitter
Raindrops spreading
Window wet
Dripping
Rain
toes
en pointé
reeling high
dancer of swans
her brisk frame...pirouetting like night wind----
I watch her arms flip when tragedy lurks
pas de deux wanes
cascading
i n t o
death
2md place
Dark
Spreading
Tiny stars
Are shining bright
Followed by the full moon high in the sky
walk
in light
see my shade
dip your toes in
bathe in the beauty of my earthly soul
dark
Spreading
tiny stars
Are spreading bright
Followed by the full moon high in the sky
I
saw a
tattered dark
useless scarecrow,
in a large wheat field, where all flying birds
seemed to enjoy, resting on tattered arms.
Except children
who seemed to
greatly
fear.
But
once at
night, I thought
I saw it move,
scared the guts out of my soul as I screamed.
”What are you screaming for, you wake the birds.”
Did I hear right?
I felt fear,
I ran
fast.
Related Poems
Definition | What is Tetractys in Poetry?