Moonshadows

[Frank Coffman]

Moonshadows

How quickly do the hours add up to days,

The days to weeks, the weeks to months and years!

Soon old Time in the old time-honored ways

Has made mere memories of joys and tears.

There was a time, my love, when each fleet minute

Was greeted as a new log for Life's fire;

And each new day with all Love's promise in it

Dawned on the journey toward our hearts' desire.

And I remember evenings around sunset,

We two would walk until the summer stars

Were spinning overhead, before the onset

Of troubles and the wounds that left our scars.

And, hand in hand, moonshadows on the grass,

We walked in love we swore would never pass.

[tonyv]

Frank, this is a terrific application of the Shakespearean form. And your meter is precise, a pleasure to read.

Clearly there were "wounds that left our scars," but the last line kind of leaves it open and leaves the reader wondering, "Did it pass?" I remain optimistic that the lovers are still together.

Tony

[Frank Coffman]

In this case, it did pass -- sorry to say. But there are always chances for new love to be encountered. In my case, it worked out--for the best.  Thanks for the kind words re: the Shakespearean form. It is undoubtedly the most common form of the sonnet in English -- because it was designed by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, to be easier than the rhyme rich Italian/Petrarchan. Poor Surrey! A younger poet named William commandeered the name. It should likely be called the Surreyan Sonnet. Then Spenser has to re-complicate things by merging the quatrains. 

[eclipse]

i did enjoy this musical peice

[badger11]

An appealing, gentle write, with a hint of frailty in the concluding line that threads to that use of the past tense. Nicely restrained.

best

badge