Day 12: LUNE & SESTINA

PROMPT: Two for Tuesday: Either write a poem with a set form, or write a free form poem about what it is like writing poetry in a set form. I choose the first.

LUNAR (first lune)

bella luna! strong;
full or new:
life without periods!



A BEASTLY ROMANCE (first YIKES! sestina)

A woman works as hard as she is able
to gather nectar and surpass the bee.
But when the honey’s poured onto the cut-
lery she dare not share it for ‘tis dear.
The wiser man observes her anxious eye
and savors her desserts, for he is frank.

Our wise man’s appetite for life shames Frank-
enstein, a monster piec-ed on a table.
But rather he, with single focused eye,
can spy her soul's inherent pow’r, to be --
become -- the woman’s stronger half, more dear
to her than hive. He guards her honey court.

The queen bee learns her new won man is Curt.
When ill, he hides his hunger, no more frank-
ly speaking truth with womanhood so near.
He now withdraws into his cave like Abel
with no more gentle off’ring than a bear
to win his sweetheart's blessed love-blind eye.

The woman, Bea, confronts his mourning, “I
no more will make a warm and honeyed cup
of comfort. Curt, no more a human being,
you left off our romance, parlance in French.
Our kisses lingered long when we were able.
Come back, my Curt, my strength, my love, so dear.”

Strong souls, when sickened, lick their loins, like deer
who hide in shadows, waiting for the eye
of light to beckon, piercing like a beam.
Returning, hunger stalks, and to the rut
they wander, letting on that flesh is frank-
ly tougher than it never e’er had been.

The way to woo such creatures is by be-
ing strong and wing-ed, hovering endears
the beastlike bent, the longing and a frank-
ness that awaits a queen’s own piercing eye.
Curt’s prowess is abiding love, he courts
a honey maid encombed at her own table.

When honeyed love makes strong all able beings
who crush the comb of carefulness and dare
to open eyes to beastlike power -- don’t freak!