This is a relatively new poem form which I first heard about on a blog last year (I think it was a Monday Poetry stretch at Miss Rumphius Effect). It was invented by Dr. Charles Stone, who defines it as:
"Trimeric \tri-(meh)-rik\ n: a four stanza poem in which the first stanza has four lines and the last three stanzas have three lines each, with the first line of each repeating the respective line of the first stanza. The sequence of lines, then, is abcd, b – -, c – -, d – -."
Dr. Stone has written a lot of trimerics. He tends to write very spare lines, which I appreciate (and he is, after all, the inventor of the form!) but one reason I enjoy playing with the form is that it seems to lend itself so well to tiny narratives. This is only the second one I've written, but I hope it won't be the last.
Two Men at Breakfast
They keep the Bible near to hand --
the old man and the younger one.
At the table, they enjoy coffee
and sweet fellowship in prayer.
The old man and the younger one
have long shared a love of mornings
and the God who made them.
At the table they enjoy coffee,
sip the bitter and the sweet,
share their worries and their cares
and sweet fellowship in prayer.
These are the moments that bind
generations together in love.
~EMP 7/28/15
3 comments:
Oh Beth, This is beautiful. I'm honored that my photo inspired this loveliness.
Indeed a wonderful poem. I hope you write more often.
Thank you, Sandy and Luke! So wonderful to have you both stop by to read this! I loved that wonderful photo. It kept playing in my mind, and this morning I finally figured out what form the poem should take.
Love you guys! And pray for you often!
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