Poem: "Threading the Labyrinth"

[ysabetwordsmith]

This poem is spillover from the September 1, 2015 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from alexseanchai, LJ users Ng_moonmoth, and My_partner_doug. It also fills the "lyrical" square in my 8-31-15 card for the Tones Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Ng_moonmoth.

Warning: This poem contains combat scenes described in moderate detail.

Note that I have used color-coding to help distinguish the threads as they are braided together, so if you can't see colors this will be harder to grasp. However! This type of poem is meant to be read aloud, and all you need to make the braid pop out in audio version is have three people read it.


"Threading the Labyrinth"


Green -- The Hero's Thread

Here comes the hero, just starting to sing.
Soon he'll be stumbling, trapped in the dark.
Lost in a labyrinth, longing for string.

Stories of old seem to kindle a spark.
Drawn by a yarn, now he seeks the beast's head.
Roaring, the minotaur seeks its own mark!

Gasping, the hero's life hangs by a thread.
Desperate for some hope, he struggles to cling.
As his heart falters, the hero falls dead.


Red -- The Minotaur's Thread

Here is the minotaur, shame of the king.
Hungry and angry, he stalks through the park.
There should be food that they promised to bring.

The human is coming, from off the barque.
Minotaur smells where the fresh trail has led.
Drooling, he licks his teeth, sharp as a shark.

Stricken by hero-blow, blood running red,
Down goes the minotaur, frost in the spring.
Such is the rede that the sibyls have read.


Blue -- The Labyrinth's Thread

Here lies the labyrinth, ring within ring.
Stories are waiting around every arc.
Two bodies balance, as if on a swing.

Soon will come battle, so bitter and stark.
This is their fate now, familiar, outspread.
These walls have seen it before, and they hark.

Tangled, the fighters fall, last words unsaid.
Nothing remains for the two foes to fling.
Rats in the labyrinth run to get fed.


Threading the Labyrinth

Here comes the hero, just starting to sing.
Here stands the minotaur, shame of the king.
Here lies the labyrinth, ring within ring.

Soon he'll be stumbling, trapped in the dark.
Stories are waiting around every arc.
Hungry and angry, he stalks through the park.

Two bodies balance, as if on a swing.
Lost in a labyrinth, longing for string,
There should be food that they promised to bring.

Soon will come battle, so bitter and stark.
The human is coming, from off the barque.
Stories of old seem to kindle a spark.

Minotaur smells where the fresh trail has led.
This is their fate now, familiar, outspread.
Drawn by a yarn, now he seeks the beast's head.

Drooling, he licks his teeth, sharp as a shark.
Roaring, the minotaur seeks its own mark!
These walls have seen it before, and they hark.

Gasping, the hero's life hangs by a thread.
Stricken by hero-blow, blood running red,
Tangled, the fighters fall, last words unsaid.

Desperate for some hope, he struggles to cling.
Nothing remains for the two foes to fling.
Down goes the minotaur, frost in the spring.

Rats in the labyrinth run to get fed
As his heart falters. The hero falls dead.
Such is the rede that the sibyls have read.

* * *

Notes:

You can read the labyrinth myth online.

This poetic form is called Brigid's Braid after the first (and only other) poem I have written in it. There are three "threads" each of which has three verses which are tercets. They rhyme aba, bcb, cac.

Then there is the "braided" version. The first lines of each thread become the first tercet, in the pattern G1R1B1 which now rhymes aaa. The second lines of each thread become the second tercet, G2B2R2 rhyming bbb. The remaining braid pattern is BGR, BRG, RBG, RGB, GRB, GBR, BGR.

The idea is to get three people to perform this poem, first with each of them reading one thread, and then with all three "braiding" the lines together. I have represented it visually with changing colors.

Braiding is a traditional way to make small strands into larger cords. In Celtic tradition, the number three symbolizes the goddess Brigid in her roles as smith, healer, and bard. (You see the same thing in Greek mythology too, making a nice connection with the labyrinth.) Read how to make a three-strand braid or watch a video of braiding. This is how you can find inspiration for poetry in everyday things!

Comments

WOW

[dialecticdreamer]

From over here, that would be DAYS of work, just because I'd be fretting over every braided verse, going "this goes here, that goes there" over and over again until it was going around in my sleep.

It suits the poem, though, as it's a different kind of labyrinth--of words!

[mdlbear]

Very nicely woven.

[thnidu]

Oh, MY! That is well and cunningly done, and strikes to the bone. I had not noticed the same-rhymes running through the individual threads.

[lynnoconnacht]

This is amazing. <3

[mdlbear]

On second reading... something in this form would make a somewhat amazing song for a trio to perform. Hmm.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

OOOOOOH! That's even more fun than a villanelle!

It should be SUNG. Like any epic story.