The ad read, For Sale: casting stones, a pair.
They contain the magic of what remains
of the inadequate god their prophet
praised and stalked to prove he is everywhere.
I bought the stones and gave them names,
set them on a shelf and then forgot it
till my fortunes fell and the dwindling share
of a joy I’d known turned to shooting pains.
Relief was all I sought. Desperate,
I threw my stones in anger, didn’t care
so long as someone paid, until the strain
proved god is useless and mankind crooked.
I make my living now by casting stones.
Feeling inadequate? You’re not alone.
~~~
© Elaine Stirling, 2015
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A wonderfool poem for an artificially auspicious date Elaine. Your innovative rhyme scheme with it’s slight off rhymes supports the idea of the randomness achieved by repeatedly casting the light and dark–with the same illusionary results each time. Your swerve beginning in the ninth line belies your confidence with mastery of the form. And I’m not fooling!
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Thanks, Russel. The rhyme scheme definitely felt wonky, and that missing beat in line 9 is silent, as in: (boom) Relief was all I sought. 😉 Not really, it was accidental–the sonnet having its April 1st way with us all.
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Ah, by swerve I was more referring to volta–. see “The structure of a typical Italian sonnet of the time included two parts that together formed a compact form of “argument”. First, the octave (two quatrains), forms the “proposition”, which describes a “problem”, or “question”, followed by a sestet (two tercets), which proposes a “resolution”. Typically, the ninth line initiates what is called the “turn”, or “volta”, which signals the move from proposition to resolution. Even in sonnets that don’t strictly follow the problem/resolution structure, the ninth line still often marks a “turn” by signaling a change in the tone, mood, or stance of the poem.” Wikiipedia
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Aah, capisco! I thought you were referring to rhythm. Volta I would have understood, though I’d not remembered specifically line 9 as the turn. It’s funny, then, that I recall so vividly the pause of that spot. As if I were working up a new (and twisted) head of steam.
Fun stuff!. Thank you for the lesson.
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