Thursday 24 March 2011

Sestina Day 11: Twisted Verse

Weird one today, folks. Not your average sestina.
Two sets of keywords, one makes up the end words of the lines as usual, the other makes up the start words.
And every stanza they switch places.
Argh.
Apparently this is an entirely new variation. If anyone knows different, drop me a message.
Emma Jane Davies and her mythic keywords are to blame for the theme!

Howl, fellow wolves, and greet the rising moon!
Owl spreads her wings for she will join us soon.
Dark shadows hold dominion over Earth
Bark, brother wolves, and herald midnight's birth!
Red sun went down, and we, the fierce and wild
Fled from the day to greet Diana's child.

Childsplay, the hunt. From human eyes we fled
Moonlight shone down, and made us want to howl
Wild children with our teeth and claws stained red
Soon we will join the badger and the owl
Birthing the night, we slaver, pant and bark
Earth turns away from sunlight into dark

Darkness now spreads its cloak across earth
Fled is the bright one, daylight's only child
Barking, the wolves bear witness to the birth
Howling, we greet the daughter of the moon
Owls circle her, and then we know that soon
Red blood will spill, rejoicing in the wild.

Wild eyed we yearn to tear into the red
Earth is our hunting ground when it is dark
Soon we must feed on flesh just like the owl.
Child of the moon, show where our quarry fled
Moon-daughter, hearken to our loving howl
Birthed-of-Diana: listen to us bark!

Barking,we chase our prey until the birth,
Red in the east, of dawn. We love the wild
Howl of our brothers underneath the moon.
Dark creatures swarming all across the Earth
Fled from the woods. each tender human child.
Owl's voice should warn. 'Your fate will meet you soon.'

Soon they will sleep, the badger and the owl.
Birth of a new day makes us cease to bark
Childlike we cower, from the light we've fled
Wild though we are, we fear the rays of red
Earth is our kingdom only in the dark
Moonchild, return tonight to hear us howl!

Fled is the owl, Night's child will call her soon:
Moon, at your birth we'll bark and whine and howl
Red lights the dark, and wild ones leave the Earth.

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