Whittled Words – Cyrch A Chwta Poem
Welcome to the weekly series, Whittled Words. A series highlighting the innumerable types and styles of poetry to challenge any creative wordsmith. This week’s selection:
CYRCH A CHWTA POEM
As you might guess from the name, Cyrch A Chwta is a Welsh poetic form. And like many Welsh forms, this poem involves both end rhymes and internal (or cross) rhymes. Here are the guidelines:
- Octave stanza (8-line stanza)
- 7 syllables per line
- Lines 1-6 and 8 end rhyme together
- Line 7 cross rhymes with line 8 (internally) on either syllable 3, 4, or 5
Note: The “a” rhyme appears at least 7 times per stanza, so it should be a strong one with plenty of rhyming options.
Examples of Cyrch A Chwta Poems:
DELIGHTFUL DANDELIONS
by Sari Grandstaff
Floating dandelion seeds
Much maligned as noxious weeds
But children they take no heed
As they blow, their wishes freed
With abandon and Godspeed
The springtime wind takes the lead
In scattering the white fluff
Soon enough, to grow and breed.
GUILTY VERDICT
by Lorraine Caramanna
Trap snaps on little mouse head,
shovel wacks sure it is dead.
How that mouse wishes he tread
in another place! Instead,
blood stains concrete floor bright red.
Murder conviction, I dread
jail for a self-defense crime,
guilty this time in my shed.
THE HAG IN THE HOLLOW
By Brad Osborne
Just down there across the way
Still living there till this day
In the house made out of clay
Lives the witch whom some would say
Huddles in her small doorway
Wrapped in dusty old duvet
Cursing and offering taunted
As if in some haunted play
I hope you have enjoyed this entry to the series, Whittled Words. I look forward to your comments, and if you dare, maybe share your own Cyrch A Chwta poem. Thanks for reading!
commonsensiblyspeaking 
I like the flow of these and now just need a phonetic pronunciation of the welsh )
You are on your own there, Beth! Thanks for your support!
I will do my best to fracture it and move ahead )
I love the almost monorhyme of this form. And again, I have no idea today is Friday until I read this.
So here’s my attempt, Brad. It’s written with acrostics.
Plaint o’ Pen
All the world shatters; scatter
Scraggy piece slipped his fingers
And silk skin tatters; spatter
Dribbles red down to papers
Penned world, ne’er wavers; falter
O! Spilled soul, pain be over
E’er heeds, a poet’s call; scrawl
To his pieces, all matters
I have missed your poetry, Matt! This is a beautiful example that truly raises the form. Your use of contraction to meet line length is an under-practiced and dying skill with the proliferation of open form poetry. This is definitely on my list of favorites by you. Well done, my friend!
Greatly enjoyed it Brad! Very nice poem! Take good care and all the best!
Thank you, my good friend!
My pleasure always Brad!
I like this style of poem, and your example is excellent. For some reason as I was reading this I felt like a beat poet!
The required syllabic line length does lend a certain texture and rhythm to it, I agree. A fun form to write. Thanks for the encouragement, Jim!
Thanks for the poetry lesson!