Styles of Poetry - Sonnets and Kyrielles #poetrymonth

I thought I'd share some of poems and some different styles of poetry with you in celebration of National Poetry Month.

Poem #1 - The Storm
This is meant to be a tradititional "Shakespearen" Sonnet. I wrote it in 1986 and it was published in my high school literary magazine, "The Oracle." There are a lot of thunder/lightning storms in New England and I often enjoyed just watching them from my window.




The Storm
by: S. Burkhart 

All around me the wind is blowing
As raindrops hit the ground, they prance.
Down in front of me, the river is rapidly flowing
Everywhere I turn, bushes and trees dance.

As I stand here the storm calls to me
And I, compelled, can not turn away.
Nature says let her be
But I know her tempest will end by day.

The darkness surrounds me, the biting wind
The wet, the damp… is all around
And I wonder, have I sinned?
As lighting and the trees fall to the ground.

The Storm surrounds me, causes me to turn,
The Storm engulfs me, causes my passions to burn.

Poem #2 - The Spell of the Sea was Forever

A Kyrielle is a French form of rhyming poetry. It is written in quatrains (a quatrain is a stanza with 4 lines).

 Each quatrain contains a repeating line or phrase known as a "refrain."
 Each line is 8 syllables.
 There are no limits to the quatrains, but the minimum is 3.
 Rhyme pattern is up to the poet.

The Spell of the Sea was Forever
By: S. Burkhart

Sad, I stood on the shore today.
The swift waves lapped on the bay.
I clutched my heart wanting better.
The spell of the sea was forever.

On the horizon was a boat.
In a bottle floated a note.
I closed my eyes wanting better.
The spell of the sea was forever.

His kisses were a fickle thing.
Sea salt, coral and brine, dolphins sing.
Magic, earth and air spin wetter.
The spell of the sea was forever.

He left me empty, hallow, raw,
My heart heals under nature’s law.
Bewitching beauty bittersweet.
The spell of the sea was forever.

Question: Which do you prefer sonnets or kyrielles?