Today’s challenge is to write a ruba’i. What’s that? Well, it’s a Persian form — multipe stanzas in the ruba’i form are a rubaiyat. Basically, a ruba’i is a four-line stanza, with a rhyme scheme of AABA. Robert Frost’s famous poem Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening uses this rhyme scheme. You can write a poem composed of one ruba’i, or try your hand at more, for a rubaiyat. Happy writing! http://www.napowrimo.net/ .
A Hunter Rides.
A hunter rides and knows of nature’s need.
Of entropy, the stirring of the seed,
In dreams he seeks the riders for his chase.
Hunted turns to hunter, mounts her steed.
In sleep, awakes to join the cavalcade.
She knows this is no merry masquerade.
Yet wild she rides with horsemen of the sky,
To harvest all the dying and decayed.
And so she’s set to ride with Harlequin,
To join the psychopomp of Nudd’s son, Gwyn,
To ride aside the hellhounds of Anwyn.
And those who see her think it is a sin.
At Samhain see them chase the spectral boar,
Tear terror from the world, and so much more,
To hear the frightful baying of the hounds,
We shake and quake and mutter, never more.
Yet should we hark the coming of the storm,
And fearful hearts are gripped til early morn,
Raise up your hands and hearts and softly pray;
Wish for the coming of the timeless born.
And thus we write the archetype anew,
As our culture re-models an immortal who,
Survived the passing storm and still rides on.
A shadow never seen unless he wants you to.
Lisa Goodwin, Bard of Ynys Witrin, April 2014
Wizard News 