Outside the Box

Outside the box there lies some hope, As those who come in darkness grope, Upon a broadened path are led, Unto a cross where Jesus bled, For hearts to change and learn to cope. Caught by judgment on downward slope, Wayward souls lynched on devils rope. No thought of Him who died instead, Outside the box. To often men may interlope, In realms of darkness beyond their scope. Falling hard, lives are filled with dread, But till they lie among the dead, And grief cries aloud; there’s still hope, Outside the box. The rondeau consists of thirteen lines of eight syllables, plus two refrains (which are half lines, each of four syllables), employing, altogether, only three rhymes. It has three stanzas and its rhyme scheme is as follows: (1) A A B B A (2) A A B with refrain: C (3) A A B B A with concluding refrain C. The refrain must be identical with the beginning of the first line.