Lady, or: The street

d’Verse: Four line alternate rhyme scheme

Poetry prompt

At d’Verse, we are prompted to write an alternate rhyme poem of at least three stanzas, with a rhyme scheme of ABAB; CDCD; EFEF; etc.

The catch is that we must borrow the alternate rhyme pairs from a published poem in the same order in which they were written. We may select either a famous poem or one of our own previously published poems, and we must cite the source. For more information about this prompt, please visit d’Verse.

I selected the poem ‘Friends’ by Abbie Farwell Brown (1871 – 1927).

‘Friends’ by Abbie Farwell Brown

How good to lie a little while
And look up through the tree!
The Sky is like a kind big smile
Bent sweetly over me.

The Sunshine flickers through the lace
Of leaves above my head,
And kisses me upon the face
Like Mother, before bed.

The Wind comes stealing o'er the grass
To whisper pretty things;
And though I cannot see him pass,
I feel his careful wings.

So many gentle Friends are near
Whom one can scarcely see,
A child should never feel a fear,
Wherever he may be.

A poem by David ben Alexander

From my balcony, I observe her for a long while
as she poses suggestively by the chestnut tree,
flashing her red, full lipped smile
at men walking by, hardly noticing me.

Leaning back, leg bent, lace
visible beneath short, tight dress, her head
turns, revealing a young girl's face;
my heart skips; it must be well past her bed-

Time slips past, as couples smoking grass
pour out from the bars; things
are not going to plan; all the customers pass
her by, bellies full of pizza and buffalo wings.

Then, suddenly, a hefty, lumbering fellow near-
by, clearly drunk, spies her; and I see
the flash of fear 
in her eyes, anxious he won't let her be.

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Let’s write poetry together!

When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.

–Ben Harper (b. 1969)

Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!