Words of Yore
Why do we mimic poets past
In the forms so dated and old
It’s that today their words still last
And provide a creative mold
Lyrical lilt of Strambotto
Or cooing love of great refrain
Iambic-given staccato
Beautiful rhymes of French Dizain
The drumbeat of the Limericks
The brevity found in Haiku
Tried and true linguistic tricks
Of old poets, but not the new
Poverty in Villon’s Ballade
A derivative in Huitain
Ae Freislighe its rhyming so odd
The simplicity of quatrain
Re-sung tercet of Madrigal
And the circle of Roundelay
Bring a sense of the magical
To simple words put on display
The Interlocking Rubaiyat
Tool used by both Khayyam and Frost
Shakespeare’s sonnets will never rot
Though to time their voices lost
Calliope the faithful muse
The rhythm, rhyme, and compression
Tincture in the black ink we use
For crucible-wrought confession
From the face slap of a spondee
To all the joy an Ode can bring
Mournful sorrow of great Elegy
Diminishing Verse vanishing
Here are spawned the variations
The inspired and the sublime
Birthplace of future creations
With bones that stand the test of time
On these stones we hone the pen’s nib
Express ourselves in ink alone
In hopes that with the words we give
A more beautiful world be shown
commonsensiblyspeaking 
Beautifully and a great commentary on today’s poetry and on the immortal ones. Lovely, quite lovely Brad.
Thank you, my dear friend!
Always a pleasure Brad!
“From the face slap of a spondee
To all the joy an Ode can bring
Mournful sorrow of great Elegy
Diminishing Verse vanishing”
Brad, you are right and you tell it so beautiful.
Thank you, Gabriela! Hope your day is filled with beauty!
My pleasure Brad. Have a beautiful day too 🌸
that is amazing how you were able to mention so many forms of poetry, and get it all to rhyme. Quite impressive, Brad!
Thanks, Jim! You know I love writing to form. Safe travels!
here’s a random question just popped into my mind, and I may have asked a similar question in the past. have you ever thought about making one of your poems into a song, or just in general tried your hand at songwriting?
Back in the day (high school), I played in a band and did some song writing with our rhythm guitarist. We had visions of being rock stars, as many young men did. But I haven’t done that since, though my guitar sits in the corner of the living room wondering what it did so wrong that I rarely play it anymore. Maybe the future holds an opportunity for that, but I am more a lyricist than a musician, so I would need some gifted help for sure! Thanks for asking!
Well your poetry is of course brilliant. But this purely reflects the knowledge and depth you have on poetry and the poets. Reading your work is always a learning experience Brad.
Thank you, Vinayak!
Welcome 😊
Wow!! I’m amazed at how you described different styles of poetry & poets, paying homage to the poets before us, and how that history is so important and still relevant today! Another beautiful piece, not that I would ever expect anything less from you though! ❤
Thank you, Kristian!
Excellent work. I love the theme and the composition. Wonderful rhymes, which are difficult to do. -Rebecca
Thank you kindly, Rebecca! I am glad you enjoyed the piece! And thank you for taking the time to read and comment!
Brilliant, and ingeniously crafted, Brad 😘
Thank you, Ms. Grant! ❤