Poetry

The Race

A sestina poem

Though he tried to convict His voice was not great Still he liked to play And all the time to race As if it were the season to finally lift his voice.

But though he tried he had no voice And so could not convict Even though it was the season For what he thought was great As if it were a race And he had time to play.

Now if you see the play And do hear the voice You’ll know it’s not a race Least not one to convict Of anything so great As is the blessed season.

Do you not know the season? Does it not provide a play? And is that not great? To make you raise your voice? So that you strongly convict And thereby win the race?

What? You say this is no race? And that it is not the season? Else he would convict And would not play Lifting up his voice As if it were so great.

But don’t you think he’s great To win the race And overcome the tremble in his voice And bless the season Like he would a play If only to convict.

Though he raised his voice it was not great enough to convict and win the race For it was the season for him to play.

© Bob Jasper 2021. All rights reserved.

This is my first attempt to write a sestina poem. It was inspired by the Writer’s Digest April Poem-A-Day challenge for day 12.

It took me a while to get my head wrapped around it and devise an approach. You can find a good explanation of the format at the Poetry Foundation (see link below). If you like word game challenges, as I do, you’ll love this one.

Hope you’ll give it a try, and if you do, please tag me. I’d love to see what you come up with.

I’m tagging a few of my poet friends to see if any will take up the challenge.

Afiyah The Poet, Amy Marley, Annelise Lords, Aurora Eliam, CMP, Beth Stormont, Caroline de Braganza, Chris Hedges, Eli Snow, Dipti Pande, FILZA CHAUDHRY, Harley King, James G Brennan, Joanne Troppello🌿, Krissy Ruiz ☽✪☾, Lisa Bolin, Patrick M. Davis, Riku Arikiri, Robert Nelson, Selma, Simran Kankas, Vinitha Dileep, Willem-Jan Ageling, Wolfie Bain, Zachary Burres, Rusty Alderson, Holly Jahangiri

I invite you and anyone else who’s looking for a challenge to give it a go.

If you’d like to read some of my previous PAD challenge responses

Happy Reading, Writing, and Connecting!