Encircling Glow

A bittersweet Christmas memory

The house was festooned with Christmas decorations
and packages were all brightly wrapped and tied with bows.
Family were laughing as snow began falling
we marveled at the picture from the warmth inside.

Santa was on his way; happy and excited
children headed to bed in anticipation.
We put finishing touches under the tree
and snuggled deep under covers 'till morning's light.

Yet spirits unspoken gathered close around us.
All our departed family, still they remained
to celebrate with us this snowy festive night;
each connection rejoined – tonight’s circle of love.



Information ▶︎

A Grossblank practice poem in iambic meter posted here: "~ The Poet's Place Cafe~"  on 01/05/2016.

Form ▶︎

The iamb is a unit of poetic meter (foot) consisting of one relatively lightly stressed syllable followed by one relatively heavily stressed syllable. It may be constructed from two single-syllable words, such as "we BUILD/ a FIRE/ and ROAST/," or single two-syllable words, such as "in-VITE," "con-CLUDE," and "es-CAPE." A single word may contain multiple iambic feet, as in "par-TIC/-i-PATE/" and "ac-COMP/-lish-MENT/." An iambic foot can also be found bridging two words: "ro-MAN/-tic ES/-cap-ADES/." Because the iambic rhythm is more compatible with the natural flow of speech in the English language, it has become the principle sound pattern of traditional English poetry. ASSIGNMENT: Write a poem about some special occasion using iambic meter.