Taking Flight

Posted on by Reena Saxena

Look up! There is no respite if you want to fly
So what if your shape changes till you reach the sky
it’s a shadow earthlings see; however they lie

I change shape and chisel a new identity
Ridicule if you want, but it is the new me
Eyes wide open; now your intent I clearly see

It hurts like hell, but I’m relieved to see wings sprout
And it’s not you that my rebirth is all about
watch viewers becoming shadows, as I jump out

Chosen form is Blues Stanza

The Blues Stanza is:

  • stanzaic, written in any number of triplets.
  • accentual verse with 4 to 6 stresses a line, or whatever. The syllable count is 12 or close enough. You can see, there is lots of room to wiggle here. The meter changes to iambic pentameter when the stanza is used in the Blues Sonnet.
  • structured. L1 makes a statement, L2 repeats L1 with minor variation, often a beat or two short, and L3 responds, with a “climatic parallel” to the first 2 lines. (a culminating contrast or extension of the statement) In effect you are writing a rhyming couplet posing as a triplet.
  • rhymed, rhyme scheme aaa, bbb, ccc, ddd.

Written for Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge

Image credit: Terri Webster Schrandt

20 thoughts on “Taking Flight”

  1. Pingback: #TankaTuesday #Ekphrastic #Poetry Challenge No. 325, 6/20/23 – Word Craft Poetry

  3. I love this form, Reena. You have embraced the eagle totem pole and the mythology of the Phoenix. I love your references to rebirth. This is a powerfully worded poem. You are the goddess of iambic pentameter. As many times as I’ve tried to write the form, I still don’t have it down! My hat’s off to you!

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  5. What a beautiful tribute to the eagle and bear totem, Reena! I’ve always enjoyed the mythology of the phoenix and thunderbird. I painted this totem and it sits on my back yard deck –it’s 6-feet tall! Your lovely poem really did it justice 🙂

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