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Best Poems Written by Rachel Barnett

Below are the all-time best Rachel Barnett poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

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Spirit of the Navajo (Pantoum)

Spirit of the Navajo
How hard life has become
Reciting prayers of long ago
Alcohol an escape for some

How hard life has become
Water is a scarcity
Alcohol an escape for some
Look at them with pity

Water is a scarcity
Wells will soon run dry
Look at them with pity
How could one not cry

Wells will soon run dry
Land stolen, left alone
How could one not cry
True intentions shone

Land stolen, left alone
Reciting prayers of long ago
True intentions shone
Spirit of the Navajo



Pantoum
The pantoum consists of a series of quatrains rhyming ABAB in which the second and fourth 
lines 
of a quatrain recur as the first and third lines in the succeeding quatrain; each quatrain 
introduces a 
new second rhyme as BCBC, CDCD. The first line of the series recurs as the last line of the 
closing 
quatrain, and third line of the poem recurs as the second line of the closing quatrain, rhyming 
ZAZA.

The design is simple:

Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4

Line 5 (repeat of line 2)
Line 6
Line 7 (repeat of line 4)
Line 8

Continue with as many stanzas as you wish, but the ending stanzathen repeats the second 
and 
fourth lines of the previous stanza (as its first and third lines), and also repeats the third line 
of 
the first stanza, as its second line, and the first line of the first stanza as its fourth. So the 
first 
line of the poem is also the last.

Last stanza:

Line 2 of previous stanza
Line 3 of first stanza
Line 4 of previous stanza
Line 1 of first stanza

Copyright © Rachel Barnett | Year Posted 2009



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Our Galaxy (Constanza)

Luminescence reigns down on me
Trajectories will hit and miss
What lies within the vast abyss

The stars that form our galaxy
Amazing from their birth to death
Such brilliant sights can take your breath

Cosmic debris just floating free
Apophis, a collision course
An asteroid feels no remorse

Torino scale, the chance will be
Predictions aren't always right
Ponder what's in the Hubble's sight

Astronomers just wait to see
Then warn us of impending fate
Perhaps then it will be too late



The Constanza, created by Connie Marcum Wong, consists of five or more 3-line stanzas. 
Each 
line has a set meter of eight syllables. The first lines of all the stanzas can be read 
successively as an 
independent poem, with the rest of the poem weaved in to express a deeper meaning. The 
first lines
convey a theme written in monorhyme, while the second and third lines of each stanza 
rhyme together.

Rhyme scheme: a/b/b, a/c/c, a/d/d, a/e/e, a/f/f.........etc.

Copyright © Rachel Barnett | Year Posted 2009

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Despairity (Triquatrain )

Sands of time, a world sublime
This unforgiving life
Try you may, and though you pray
The pain cuts like a knife

Easier each day, or so they say
Time will heal the saying goes
Tightening rope, losing hope
Despair that no one knows

Wish for good, misunderstood
How could things get worse
Strength diminished, patience finished
Your suffering destiny's curse

Thinking negative, no more to give
Live each day as it's your last
If you were gone, they would go on
Left with memories of the past

Gone but not forgotten, begotten
A shame things turned out this way
When in need, a friend indeed
Came to save the day

Others too busy, drama makes you dizzy
They live their life the same
Should be so glad, their life isn't this sad
And who should carry now the blame


~~~Triquatrain~~~
The Triquatrain form was created by Robert L. Huntsman. It is a quatrain poem in tri-rhyme 
with a specific rhyming pattern (see below). Lines 1 and 3 have internal rhyme whereas lines 
2 
and 4 do not. 

Rhyme Pattern:

(a,a)
b 
(c,c)
b 

(d,d)
e 
(f,f)
e

(g,g) 
h 
(i,i)
h

. . . and so on. 

The groupings in the parenthesis are on one line separated by a comma. This poem can be 
of 
any length or subject and does not require perfect meter.

Copyright © Rachel Barnett | Year Posted 2009

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Room With a View

From my room with a view I see
Sapphire waves of coming tide
Wispy clouds floating by
As day will soon subside

Grains of sand return
To an ocean vast
As the sun sinks east
Shadows now are cast


Gazing out to the horizon
Anticipating night
Starry eyes awaiting
Moon to cast her light

Being one with nature
Soothing me with care
Never will she leave me
For mother's always there

Copyright © Rachel Barnett | Year Posted 2009

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Nature Marches On

Shadows fall upon us all
An ever changing scene
Days shorter, nights grow long
Landscape so serene


Metamorphosis arrives
Green will be no more
Crimson, gold and orange
What Autumn has in store


Wind becoming crisper now
Seasons come and go
Picture painting masterpiece
Falling leaves shall show

Cycle of life once again
Another summer gone
Trees bare their all to you
As nature marches on

Copyright © Rachel Barnett | Year Posted 2009



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If Teardrops Never Fell (Monchielle)

If teardrops never fell
Your words would still cut deep
It'd be a different place
For when it hurt me then
No tears would drench my face

If teardrops never fell
My eyes would not tell tale
The pillowcase would dry
Would I feel better then
If I could never cry

If teardrops never fell
I'd lose my sweet release
Kept bottled up inside
Angst would overcome me
If all teardrops were dried


If teardrops never fell
I'd take my place instead
In the arms of sorrow
To drown in my regret
Wishing for tomorrow


If teardrops never fell
I'd never speak my peace
My heart could never mourn
Or say a sad goodbye
If tears were never born



The Monchielle

The Monchielle is a poem that consists of four five-line stanzas where the FIRST LINE repeats 
in 
each verse. Each line within the stanzas consist of SIX syllables, and lines three and five 
rhyme. 
The rhyme pattern is Abcdc Aefgf Ahiji Aklml.

Copyright © Rachel Barnett | Year Posted 2009


Book: Reflection on the Important Things