I admit it, I made this one up. The form is inspired by Peter Bouchier’s lantern poem that he christened a ‘pine cone’ poem because its shape grew rather out of control. This is simpler than a pine cone, more like a butterfly quintain.
The form: ten lines with a syllable count of 5.4.3.2.1.2.3.4.5.
Those of you with a good grasp of maths will have noticed that this only makes nine lines. I did wonder why my poem had ten lines and it’s because I broke my own rule and had two central lines of one syllable. Since I did it so can you.
(Note to self) Remember to centre the poem to get the hourglass shape.
If you want to make it more complicated for yourself, try making the word in the middle a pivotal word that sends the poem off in a different direction. I haven’t tried that yet but will see what I can do today.
You have one week to make me an hourglass. Post links in the comments. Looking forward to reading your work š
Photo Ā©Pilismo
In the dark night calls
a lonely bird
harbinger
raven
black.
Night
caller
prophesy
death in its wings
winter frozen heart.
Jane Dougherty Writes 
I enjoyed this challenge š
Winter’s freezing grasp
squeezing back life
dominates
the earth
’til
weak shoots
gather strength
and push together:
Verdant uprising!
Nice one! You got a change of direction from the central word too š
What fun! Thanks to Peter and you! š
Thank you, Jane. The challenge fit my mood and my view:
https://gracefulpress.wordpress.com/2016/03/02/march-2-0530/
Your mood sounds very positive š
Love this, must have a try sometime..
Don’t put off till tomorrow…
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2016 17:24:30 +0000 To: jane.dougherty@dbmail.com
This is a nice challenge. Both this and your followup are great examples.
Mine is a series of three – centered, of course, on my page:
Flying Free
darkness, like a hood
enveloping
enclosing
soothing
loosed
at once
revealing
pent energy
prized light and freedom
forward beat of wings
reeling higher
seeking prey
quick turn
dive
eyes fixed
ground rising
closing on prey
talons find their mark
visions of darkness
clouding hunger
for freedom
fading
gone
wings beat
wild and free
bidding farewell
constraints left behind
https://rivrvlogr.wordpress.com/2016/03/02/flying-free/
Ken
Thanks for crediting, Jane! I owe you one so I’ll think about it.
In the mean time, do feel free to take a look at my latest fir cone, or ‘conifer’ if you like: https://peterbouchier.wordpress.com/english-essays-and-poems-2/dawn-of-spring/
G’nite for now!
The price of the hourglass
It is every girl’s dream
That one day she’ll
Achieve the
Perfect
Figure
Though wise
Heads warn her
She’ll regret the
Figure paid for that dream
Not quite right, unless you can squeeze ‘figure’ in as one syllable!
Why not replace ‘figure’ with ‘price’? This has your trademark stamped all over it. Pithy.
Sorry, I’m not quite awake yet. You need to keep ‘figure’ for symmetry.
Yep, I squeezed but the fabulous idea wouldn’t fit! Hey ho. Time to think again…
Thesaurus of synonyms?
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2016 19:00:28 +0000 To: jane.dougherty@dbmail.com
I think that might be it.
Use “size” in place of figure..this shall fit perfectly
Oh yes that’s a grand idea!
Thank you….
Here’s my take on the prompt Jane..
https://srisudhak.wordpress.com/2016/03/02/nine-waves-2/
I had trouble with this one, and I wrote a few to try to get it right. Here are two. https://merrildsmith.wordpress.com/2016/03/03/flowers-and-books-two-hourglass-poems/
https://thoughtsandentanglements.wordpress.com/2016/03/03/time-4/
After several drafts here is my entry. This was such such fun creating the hourglass, nicely done Jane:)
Glad you enjoyed it š
Thanks for the challenge. I like your hourglass very much.
I hope you’ll make one too š Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2016 16:20:51 +0000 To: jane.dougherty@dbmail.com
Oh yes š
Another famous hourglass..
Marilyn Monroe’s
Shapely bosom
Led Men’s eyes
To her
Waist
From where
Those same men
Concluded she
Had no brains. Dickheads
Now that one fits. In every way š
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2016 19:11:24 +0000 To: jane.dougherty@dbmail.com
This one of mine may need some explanation. In the days of sail, until the early years of the 20th century, ships used to calculate their speed by use of a log line running out from the afterdeck. As long as an hour glass was running, the knots in the log line were counted, each knot representing a nautical mile per hour. Up to the present day a ship’s speed is still expressed in knots.
https://peterbouchier.wordpress.com/english-essays-and-poems-2/sand-of-time/
The picture dates back as far as 1872 when tea clipper Cutty Sark ran into port with a jury rudder that had been very cleverly shipped in mid-ocean by her crew.
I do like the structure of syllable counts…
https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/2016/03/04/fierce-fossils/
It’s like the wire skeleton for a sculpture š
Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2016 11:17:03 +0000 To: jane.dougherty@dbmail.com
That’s a good analogy. In school I was never good with real open-ended assignments…I need some kind of structure to focus my thinking.
I think most of us do. The lucky people are the ones who need hardly any structure to build on.
Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2016 15:33:42 +0000 To: jane.dougherty@dbmail.com
the corrected link is here Jane,
https://srisudhak.wordpress.com/2016/03/02/hour-glasses-of-nine-waves/
http://writinginnorthnorfolk.com/2016/03/05/the-truth-of-words-an-hour-glass-poem/
Jane – I had a go at the hourglass poetry here’s my link: https://kyrosmagica.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/jane-dougherty-poetry-hourglass-challenge/
Just just slipped in under the wire there š
Just in time!