Two poems about impermanence
Minimalist syllable counts of the Irish Ae Freishghe and the American Cinquain
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These two poems have different but similarly restricted structures, not unlike the Japanese haiku, which you have likely seen before. Like haiku, they have a spare, minimalist quality that feels very wintery to me, as though all the other words had dropped off the lines like so many dried leaves.
They also both address the same theme: impermanence. If you’ve studied any mindfulness methods or Buddhist principles, you’ll be familiar with the powerful paradox of this teaching. As has been written about by many contemplatives, artists, and mystics for centuries, it is when we accept that life will end that we often experience it as its most remarkable.
The first poem is an Irish form called an ae freishghe. It carries an unusually specific multi-syllable rhyme scheme and is exactly 7 syllables per line.
The second is an American cinquain, which requires no rhyme or meter but has its own particular syllabic “recipe:” 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 2.
If you are curious about writing poetry, I encourage you to try this type of cinquain. It’s an interesting challenge and not as difficult as it may seem!
So little can I offer
So little can I offer:
exhale warmth across some words,
present a cup of water,
listen for the calls of birds.
Winter taps her death drum near,
ever watchful, eyes ablaze.
Shadow songs are welcome here–
stories line the old pathways.
Not enough and all there is
when time itself grows brittle.
Kindness soothes raw edges and
no longer seems so little.
Right now
Right now
I just listen,
slow to meet the morning.
A crow calls blindly through the fog
up high.
Outside
a mouse is dead,
small paws thrown out to the side,
its fur the color of dried leaves
and dirt.
Last night
I left it there,
wishing for a shovel,
not knowing what to do without
a grave.
Very beautiful!
Impermanence - something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. With greater understanding. Perhaps it’s age related. Or maybe not. Thank you Sharna!