Curried Contrivance

By brian francis

I have never been a poet who can scream their poetic words
from a stage. I am the poet who sits alone in a darkened room
mulling over ideas like a cow chewing its cud. Only to spew
them upon a page and massage them into a preferred arrangement.
Stream of thought, what the hell does that mean;
if it isn’t, stream of thought, how does it form.
Ahh, form, form is no matter, constraints released still sing a sorrowful song

But then again

If rules contrive to blind and bind
construction and structure contain
Meter dictates the measure of time
And sings of itself in its fullest refrain

To step without stumble this prance
To worry the mind, each step a dance
The feet and the steps show the way
words simply carry the message we say

birds whisper to me and threaten my flesh
if I don’t pet and praise them, I’m living in fear
they make me attend them – expect me to jump
they whisper their threats their mouth on my ear

The dogs all are cowards just lying about
The birds have them scared hiding their tails
I delayed my attention just a moment or so
Now blood dripping splatters and trails

Copyright ©2020 brian francis

Lessons in Form

By brian francis

The forms we use to cast our thoughts
from the page to our reader’s mind
Can often be both learned and taught
if only, we just take our time

Assembling all the words just right
tweaking just how they are combined
A form can be both strict and tight
if only, we just take our time

Meter is the tool of measure
deciding how the poem is lined
rhyme can be a poet’s pleasure
if only, we just take our time

Soon the task will be completed
the poem will be clearly defined
With every line fairly treated
if only, we just take our time

Author’s Note: Form- Kyrielle (axaZ, bxbZ, cxcZ, dxdZ)

Copyright ©2020 brian francis

Flutter

By brian francis

In my dreams, I see butterflies
fluttering across my mind’s eye.
They dance performing flutter byes.
In my dreams, I see butterflies
floating the breezes as they rise,
cast in the winds – my sleeping sigh.
In my dreams, I see butterflies
fluttering across my mind’s eye.

Author’s Note: Form–Triolet

Copyright ©2020 brian francis