Regina Mcintosh Poet Iambic Pentameter

Gifts of the Night

Faint stillness of the night falls swiftly down 
and masked raccoons now pillage darkest night. 
Fluffed owls with sparkling eyes are flying free 
and rabbits, gently moving, sniff the air... 
The hounds - from hunter lost - do bay and whine! 
Marked deer with spots or racks go pawing trails 
and bear cubs ramble near a sparkling stream. 
Uncommon moths blink near the lights outside 
and possums scramble up the hillside earth. 
Soft light of moon obscures the beauty there 
and adds romance to this nocturnal scene. 
Amid the forest’s trees of pine and oak, 
these charms display the gift of God’s design! 

Faint STILL-ness OF the NIGHT falls SWIFT-ly DOWN
and MASKED rac-COONS now PIL-lage DARK-est NIGHT
Fluffed OWLS with SPARK-ling EYES are FLY-ing FREE
and RAB-bits, GEN-tly MOV-ing, SNIFF the AIR
The HOUNDS, from HUN-ter LOST, do BAY and WHINE
Marked DEER with SPOTS or RACKS go PAW-ing TRAILS
and BEAR cubs RAM-ble NEAR a SPARK-ling STREAM
Un-COM-mon MOTHS blink NEAR the LIGHTS out-SIDE
and POS-sums SCRAM-bles UP the HILL-side EARTH
Soft LIGHT of MOON ob-SCURES the BEAU-ty THERE
And ADDS ro-MANCE to THIS noc-TURN-al SCENE
a-MID the FOR-est’s TREES of PINE and OAK
these CHARMS dis-PLAY the GIFT of GOD’S de-SIGN

©by Regina Riddle
Written on July 29, 2014
Re-written for contest on July 30, 2014
Re-written twice for contest on July 31, 2014 – with LOTS of help from 
sponsor and much thanks to Roy Jerden
For: For Newer Poets: An Exercise in Iambic Pentameter - Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Roy Jerden

I deliver newspapers at night on a rural route and see all of these nocturnal 
creatures along my journey… the origins of the poem.

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Darren Mallett November 27, 2016 at 9:28 PM I was rereading old comments and replies on my poems, and decided to reread this piece, and I'm so glad I did. Genuinely felt so new but so familiar. I think that is what a lot of writing lacks these days. Your writing is something you should cherish and encourage in other people, I think you do that beautifully. Keep writing and keep singing your soul song. I hope inn the time that has passed since my last comment, you feel better about your iambic work! Again, very well done.

Skat A May 18, 2015 at 1:56 PM REGINA, Congratulations on having your poem featured this week. SKAT love

John Lawless August 20, 2014 at 5:33 PM Regina, this is an inspiring write. It has me hurriedly scrolling back to re-read it and relax into the wonder of its aura.

Poet Destroyer A August 20, 2014 at 9:51 AM Hi Regina, nice to see you on Roy's top list...PD

Dr. Upma A. Sharma August 20, 2014 at 6:28 AM Wow that's an amazing write my dear friend Regina! Great work, big congrats!

Jan Allison August 20, 2014 at 2:22 AM beautiful description Regina - i chickened out of this contest so very well done for persevering ! Hugs jan xxx

Tim Smith August 19, 2014 at 11:20 PM Sounds wonderful.... Congrats Gina

Casarah Nance August 19, 2014 at 6:01 PM wonderful, we get lots of nighttime creatures here too, drive safe, grats on your great win!

Paul Callus August 19, 2014 at 4:53 PM Back again, Regina...this time with deserved congratulations; this top placing was in the air!! // paul

Diana Burkholder August 19, 2014 at 4:42 PM Congratulations Regina! The images are so wonderful in this poem and it runs very smoothly along to a great conclusion. I can see these critters in my mind. Great job! D.

Andrea Dietrich August 19, 2014 at 4:07 PM GREAT meter and great descriptions of the night life. (not the night life of the cities!! haha) Congrats on a marvelous win.

Roy Jerden August 19, 2014 at 3:54 PM Congratulations, Regina! You may remove the scansion, now, if you like. Cheers, Roy Regina Mcintosh August 20, 2014 at 2:59 PM Thank you for all your help. God bless you and happy writing - You taught me so much. I love learning. Anything you think I should know please tell me. It helps me trememdously. Love and prayers, Gina

Darren Mallett August 2, 2014 at 10:27 PM He Regina, Thanks for your kind words on my poem; I struggle with Iambic Pentameter myself all too often but I've never thought to write it as I see you've done here, so thank you for that! This little trick will make me a lot more confident when writing my own if I sound it out as you have! Really enjoyed this poem your imagery of the animals is sensational; you really paint a picture here in the limited constraints of Iambic Pentameter. Well done! Darren Mallett Regina Mcintosh August 3, 2014 at 12:50 PM I had a TON of help with this one. I had no idea what I was doing. I want to learn it well, but am going to move slowly with them because they scare me,. I WANT to learn multiple forms of poetry and even they aren't prefect, try the new on. I love what I'm learning here. It's nice. You should find the contest page and enter one if your poems. He's very helpful and will be delighted with your work.Thanks for commenting and reminding me I need to try another iambic parameter - scarey stuff,.

Paul Callus July 29, 2014 at 3:17 PM Beautiful night scenes in a peaceful and enchanting atmosphere; very well expressed, Regina. gl in contest. // paul Regina Mcintosh August 3, 2014 at 1:08 PM Thank you for your kind comments. I hope to read more of your work as time permits... You've provided me with some wonderful comments and I really appreciate that. God bless you.