wb :

Iambic nonameter. I thought I'd never manage to write one of these, what with my obsessive rhyming and all... but >< here it is.

I don't think the lines will format properly in blogger. As such, I'll just split every nine-stress line into 4- and 5- stress sub-lines.

-~-

i have loved many faces of mortals,
        but none remain that stand in flesh today;
old Helen, Aphrodite, all
        but statues left of beauty passed away.
i know not if i ever shall
        forget the sculpt of their immortal clay-
but Venus stands in armless pall,
        and Helen's rosy cheeks are granite gray.

i loved a spirit, loved a sprite,
        and danced the dance of love amongst the fey-
i waltzed with her who walked in white,
        and gambolled on the greens with gamines gay-
yet all the songs and tales and sights,
        all disappeared before the newborn day,
for faerie love is born of night,
        but man must walk the luminated way.

i loved the gods as selflessly
        as i could bring my mortal self to love,
yet i had waited endlessly
        for signs of love from they who dwell above;
i am a man, admittedly-
        not virtue's pure and unforsaken dove-
that love is unashamedly
        a love that loves me back; for that i strove.

yet i cannot describe in breath
        the love that draws, like fire to the moth;
so let love, let her, look like Death-
        for i would gladly give my soul to both.

Labels: poetry