Stalker

[Tinker]

Stalker

A silent virus stalks us all!
It's time to listen, learn and act.
Pandemic threat no borders hold
is calling for some actions bold
or death knell for the sick and old.
Discern hype from fact.

A hungry virus stalks us all!
There's love, concern and noble deeds,
but selfish hoarding strips store shelves,
some thoughtless youths indulge themselves
and criminals attack like wolves
while we hunker in the reeds.

A deadly virus stalks us all!
For now the ending is unknown.
we'll work and play and pray at home
sequester life within the dome
and maybe even write a poem
to keep a hopeful tone.
                   ~~Judi Van Gorder
Notes: ▼

The Lakelet is an invented form created by Daniel Lake at All Poetry.com and named by Lawrence Eberhardt is an exercise in metrics and rhyme.

1. The elements of the Lakelet are: stanzaic, written in 3 or more sixains.
2. metric, L1 thru L5 iambic tetrameter, L6 iambic trimeter
3. rhyme, scheme xabbba xcdddc xefffe etc. x being unrhymed. or abcccb adeeed afgggf etc. The original description of the rhyme is abcccb with no further direction. "a" implies a rhyme but there is no match and in the original poem L1 or each stanza is unrhymed. I think linking the stanzas with the "a" rhyme or even a rentrement, repeating L1 of S1 as L1 of subsequent stanzas could be an enhancement.

[tonyv]

I see you've been "working" from home, Judi, and that's why we have this poem. 😉 But seriously, I'm relieved to see a poem from you after how many days? I haven't been overly worried, because I know you're pretty self-contained and that your business can easily be run from home. We'll have to chat and catch up soon.

Tony

[badger11]

Insightful write Judi. Agree on the need to learn and discern. Human behaviours, as always, will promote good as well as evil.

Thanks for sharing

best

Phil

[A. Baez]

There is an inherent power in this form, and I think you've used it well in a number of ways. I like the sharp, colorful commentary--especially the imaginative and surprisingly effective third line--of

Quote

some thoughtless youths indulge themselves
and criminals attack like wolves
while we hunker in the reeds.

and

Quote

we'll work and play and pray at home
sequester life within the dome
and maybe even write a poem

forms a really nice, smooth contrast, with its euphonious triad of verbs in the first line echoed by the triad of calm, rounded end-line sounds mirroring these lines' theme. I love the unexpected yet oddly right (to me, at least) image/metaphor of the "dome"--it makes me think of the harmonious, expansive geodesic dome home the Crystal Hermitage that I visited at the Ananda spiritual community in Nevada City, CA! And to me, "poem" is the perfect way to end this triad--the half-rhyme works perfectly, focusing our attention on that word and its significance, reminding us how poetry can serve as a psychological remedy for all manner of ills.