London, Book, Fair

I never win when I enter writing competitions and so here we are again 🙂

This week I entered a competition to write a Sonnet, a Haiku and a Nonnet. Now I’ve not written a sonnet or a nonnet before, or at least I don’t think I have but that’s beside the point. So first up was the sonnet and it was to be a Shakespearean sonnet.

(Click here to read what it should be like) and I now know why it didn’t win ha ha! 🙂

The theme was London and so here is my failed attempt!

Upon thine banks I hear siren songs sung
in whispered imaginings to enhance
Upon thine waters I feel as if stung
by beauty rushing hither, thither – thence
Upon thine streets I tread within history
to find myself at home in England’s soul
Upon thine bricks I feel the dust of me
foot printing, hand printing, heart printing whole
Upon thine meadows I sleep beneath time
resting in smiles till sundown you wake me
Upon thine night I wander your sublime
your magnificence of wonders to see
++++ Oh how the depths of thine eternal love
++++ is being battered by the ruthless .gov!

Next up was the haiku, which is a very short form of Japanese poetry of 17 syllables of 5-7-5. The essence of haiku is “cutting” (kiru). This is often represented by the juxtaposition of two images or ideas and a kireji (“cutting word”) between them, a kind of verbal punctuation mark which signals the moment of separation and colors the manner in which the juxtaposed elements are related. (Wikipedia)

The theme for the haiku was a book or books and here’s mine

Trees do breathe to live
for hands to hold, eyes to read
Deathly white leaves, talk

Now for the Nonnet which should have nine lines with the first line having 9 syllables, the second 8 syllables, the third 7 syllables until the ninth line which has one syllable and is to have an iambic meter (stress every other syllable). (Wikipedia)

The theme for the nonnet was a fair and so here’s mine.

Milling, spilling, chatting and chilling
crowds colour the arena’s mile
as children tug at held hands
Coffee is served so nice
goods are sold with glee
as children tug
Hours pass by
fun ends
Tug!

And there you have it 🙂