Sonnet Doubles, Forty Year Span

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First sonnet
R.J. Lindley,
April 3rd, 1979
Sonnet
Syllables Per Line:10 10 10 10 0 10 10 10 10 0 10 10 10 10 0 10 10
Total # Syllables:140
Total # Words:102
Second sonnet
Robert J. Lindley, 4-08-2019
Sonnet in nines.
Syllables Per Line:9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 9 9 9 9
Total # Syllables:126
Total # Words:90

What Great Love, Our Memory Shall Remain

What is left when I am buried and dust
ancient grave upon which a white-stone rests
vanished shades of a future we did trust
as if that one great wave would never crest!

What great love or memory shall remain
when deepest of sleep, centuries accrue
will it matter wealth, worthless earthly gain
as paying of the pied piper comes due?

What truth, shall weigh in as ones repentance
when exposing light shines its judging gleams
will sad regrets reduce final sentence
or give power to mercy craving dreams?

Pray tell, can great sorrows yield forgiveness?
Birthing mercy a gift, divine kindness?

R.J. Lindley,
April 3rd, 1979
Sonnet

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Fate Peeled Back Its Deepest Dark Curtain

Fate peeled back its deepest dark curtain
leaving nothing to chance, all certain
this year the bravest of heroes dies
golden streets flooded with angel cries.
What justice, one so young shall perish
midst of love of those he so cherish
roars not a harder, greater anguish
than living through and in pain languish
With hunger for life, for love's sweet touch
so cursed and sadly fated such
Fate, its massive powers so decreed
greatest hero on battlefield bleeds
steps into eternity, no seeds
grave now hidden by overgrown weeds!

Robert J. Lindley, 4-08-2019
Sonnet in nines.

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Sonnet doubles..... a 40 year span

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M. L. Kiser

Date: 4/10/2019 8:14:00 PM

Yes, it can, "can great sorrows yield forgiveness? Birthing mercy a gift, divine kindness?" "grave now hidden by overgrown weeds!" In some way it's sad to think that the sum of our lives, is a weed-filled plot; impetus to do more while we're alive.3a4

Robert Lindley
Date: 4/14/2019 7:21:00 PM

Thank you my friend. The sum of our lives should be more than the spot of ground we end up be deposited in. It should be the abundant good we have done for others, the love we shared and the beauty in life we created.

Caren Krutsinger

Date: 4/8/2019 11:43:00 PM

I am marveling at both the patterns of ABABAB and AABBCCDD, the continuity of the syllable count, and the crux of this beautiful missive, that shows such discipline and order, all the while maintaining EXACT syllable counts. I am so intrigued by my reaction to this, for I despise math, and yet, this seems to be all about the counts. The fact they are "sister poems" written forty years apart, and the beauty of both is also pretty much holding me hostage here, Robert. Bravo!

Robert Lindley
Date: 4/14/2019 7:19:00 PM

Thank you my friend. Math has always been a favorite subject of mine and fits well into my poetic creativity.