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.
Bedtime
The beginning of the night was hot
I went to bed naked (daredevil.)
On the other side of the bedroom, I saw a naked man had
a big stomach, large balls and a small .
Since he wasn’t me, I did not bid him good night
I switched off the light.
During the night, it got cold, a foretaste of winter
hastily put my pajamas on.
I had noticed the man in the other room had a long foreskin
at least he was not Jewish.
I made a mental note to ask her who he was
we sleep in separate bedrooms because of my snoring.
I was thinking of Carl Jung. was he a Christian or not
some of what he said was right in our Western society is steeped
in Christianity, as is our everyday speech.
Woke up at eight, walked into the kitchen
, and made coffee
thought, if the man who was not there was still sleeping.
(Tennyson.)
My life that sprang like a spring once and flows now like a stream
Divine Providence that glows and gleams within like sunbeam
Love that makes creatures, like flowers and flies, to give and take
Fondness of friends that heals each physical and psychic ache
Sunshine and showers that make seeds grow into plants and trees
Birds and beasts, tame and wild, whose presence makes nature at ease
Equipoise sown and reaped by the blunt writ of birth and death
Breeze of boons of care and compassion that caress each breath
Floods, droughts, and quakes that unwrap incomprehensible might
Harbingers of peace between nations and kingdoms that fight
Events that make me foretaste the depth of death while alive
Acts of the facts of new life towards which my life revive
Before we play, let's preamble with the entree,
Enjoy the soft shoe shuffle, before the souffle.
Dancing tipsy, on tippy-toes, to belay and delay the mainstay.
It's a wily whisper of words, a teaser to savor in foreplay.
To amble and gamble, to begin with the starters on show,
Unscrambles the egg, but won’t scramble the glow.
For it's only a tongue-tip foretaste, a wink to what's next.
A fling ding unfettered, a sinew stretch, before things get complex.
It's like players who tune their strings, before starting to play.
It's like scene-setters setting the stage for ballet.
It's a warm-up, a rehearsal, a try-out, to get things right.
Before the curtains call up, ready to go on opening night.
Sometimes, at a young
Age, I go to bed empty
Belly; truth 'bout life.
When dawn drifts into enchanted meadows,
and the bluebirds display their beautiful feathers;
When I breathe into the inviting celestial air of nature's best,
and exhale the life-giving flow from God's non-toxic nest;
When I take it in and count the blessings of a new day's arrival,
realizing God's daily dose of dawn is a heavenly foretaste that has no rival;
When with dedication, dawn has fought her way through the darkness of night, reassuring us that whatever challenges we face, we need not fright;
Dawn teaches us that life is not only about a gallant and ceaseless struggle to survive, but that we find angelic assistance from God, enabling us to thrive.
When Dawn arrives over the horizon with a smile and greets us with a kiss, and like white water rapids, tears flow from our eyes that we cannot resist,
May we deem it more than incidental, never taking it for granted. And may
We eagerly accept the gift-wrapped blessing, made in heaven just for us.
Colonel Volkov would surely impress the lovely Anastasia
His limousine driver pulled up at the Palace of the Czar
Taking lovely Anastasia by her dainty hand
Volkov would introduce her to champagne and caviar
Bowing gracefully before his highness
From his scabbard Volkov pulled his gleaming sword
Unexpectedly, the Czar did the same, frightening the dame
Blushing, she implored the mustachioed figure in haughty red
"I thought to have a pleasant evening, dine to fine music
Home to a bubble bath, and perhaps spread out in bed ..."
"I see," the Czar sneered, and said, fondling his sword
"You've both come this far, let's see your earn your board"
With a lunge at Volkov, the Czar pierced his skin
Blood spurting everywhere ~ foretaste of 'the ugly Russian'
"Foggy mists engulfed the bright
When raindrops fell throughout the night
The lampposts glowed at midnights dark
When sweethearts kissed at Lover's Park"
As crickets sang their lovers' song
Under the umbrella, you held me long.
Your strong arms around my waist.
Walking home, after our foretaste.
SUBLIMITY
fantasy
explored
sentimrnt
romanrtised
pleasing
feeings
embidied
in
a
winding
sparklinh
future
a foretaste
of
convention
splashed
in
textual
theatre
complexity
confounded
in a
stunning
respose
Daily morning ritual rain or sunshine
Eye romance beginning on a bus stop queue
Founding jaunty mawkishness everlasting
Teenager pining
Background music softly enraptures the mood
Candelabra flickers on snowy linen
Sparkling bubblies celebrate our encounter
Eagerness mounting
Flawless cuteness leaning on steaming bathtub
Bashful petals casting their lovely fragrance
Spellbound, swirling in midst of bursting bubbles
Hankering simmers
Blurring horn halts instantly my intense trance
Prospect missed as porcelain beauty vanished
Left with a foretaste of that magic moment
I vow she’ll be mine
11.27.2022
No deeply rooted history,
nor implied ordered liberty,
abortion, gutted like a trout,
dismembered, lies there, bleeding out.
Hyperbole is through the roof,
a million times more fun than truth,
and so all things report as true;
they’re coming for gay marriage, too.
The court is not deciding fates;
that can is kicked back to the states.
Now each will rank on published lists:
abortive destination trips.
Chasm widens on the issue:
right to life or useless tissue.
More than ever, we decide
to separate and to divide.
Pro-life Christians must up their game,
not being pro-life just in name.
This is a war, if one will dare,
‘gainst darker forces in the air.
Though victory, hard-fought, was won,
this, a mere skirmish, not that one.
Though joined to us in life and pain,
till His return, work still remains.
With hope, we see a foretaste grand
of life preserved throughout the land.
He is our motivating force,
so we press on, we stay the course.
UNDERSTATEMENT
language
confirms
the
familiar
even a weakness
angst
melodrama
wonder
the
significant
reciprocated
precisely
a
modern echo
momentarily
a
slight
foretaste
vibrant
elegant
twirling
surreally
&colourfully
rendered
an avatar
of
estrangement
in an
unmistakable
panoply
of
glowing
visages
eyeballing
sallow
isolation &
unsettling
existence
animated
swirling
fathoms
of
fantasy
irradiated
with
innocence
exuding
the
will-o’-the-wisp
influence
expressly
apparent
NOTE:THIS IS AN OPEN(organic) FORM VERSE using spaces&breaks without grammatical symbols ,the ' open' relies upon 'the one breath limitation' & so inherently requires the 'reader' (reciter) to input and responds thus making this enigmatic form a two way interplay & interpretatIon unique to the moment& changing according to mood is inherently variable.
the light had twisted
a duress that was looming
high tide in the sea
typhoon chastises
jade water over the bow
jaded on the bridge
thunderstorms floating
level of brightness in spots
out of the azure
after ships are docked
when you foretaste a rainbow
the sunlight advent
Written: April 19, 2022
A BRIAN STRAND PREMIERE CHOICE Poetry Contest
Sponsored by: Brian Strand
This proposition we call life
is tenuous at best;
reach out, grab firm those things most dear
and jettison the rest.
For what will bring a man acclaim
and lift him to the heights?
The tease of accolades and fame’s
cruel escalating sights?
Or shall he build tall monuments
which edify his name?
The halls ring hollow when he's gone;
mere empty shells remain.
Perhaps great fortunes, once amassed
are where he'll leave his mark,
yet who will count his stacks of gold
when everything goes dark?
Or shall his job consume his soul,
vocation gone berserk?
As life yet slowly slips away,
none wish they'd done more work.
Or lofty words and turns of phrase
rolled sweetly off the tongue,
but who will breathe new life in them
when no air fills the lungs?
Perhaps a hint, a sweet foretaste:
at table, gathered there.
A joyful throng, yet some are missed:
a poignant, empty chair.
Yes, all fall short and surely fail;
no permanence, mere whim.
Nay, this is it: to know thy God
and to be known by Him.
----------
for the To lighten the load Poetry Contest
sponsored by Angela Tune
written 04/12/2022
White
blossom,
a welcome
Springtime emblem,
the foretaste of succulent fruit to come.
NOTE:The challenge with Ray Stebbing's tetractys form is -that each line is required 'to stand on its own ' & the poem itself is to express a complete thought,within the narrow compass of 20 syllables.
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