A ballad on immigration, a free verse poem on motherhood, and a sonnet on shoes

¶ … Night the Crystals Broke

This ballad begins

On a far-away shore

A land she knew so well.

This land was green, filled with tropical sun

And her house was filled with mirth

Which also lay etched on their faces

Then the fires came

The smoke from the Ark

And the disintegration of the star

Quick, Quick,

They left

Quick Quick

They left

Her belongings stuffed

In a bag the size of her heart

Which beat

Faster Faster

When the arms of that Statue

Embraced her.

This ballad conveys the powerful theme of anti-Semitism and the experience of immigration. The speaker need not be anyone famous, although it seems that the speaker might be referring to an ancestor. Musing on the immigrant experience from the perspective of generations later conveys a powerful message of freedom and hope. Although the ideas could be developed better, and it has an irregular meter that poses rhythmic problems, the poem does fulfill the basic tenets of a lyrical ballad. The repetition of words like "quick" and "fast" complement the tone of tension that pervades the poem.

II. Tough Love

Recalling the way you smelled

When I first beheld your breath,

I now cry more than you when your body

Separated from mine

For the last time.

Recalling the way you cried

When I first put you on the bus

I now laugh more than you when

You burst out

After your first A.

Seeing you now

When your eyes are red and your breath reeks

I now know not what to do

You shun me

You need me.

Commentary: This is a free verse quatrain poem, and it is divided strictly into three stanzas of four lines each. The poem is rather brief but pithy; it captures the speaker's emotions rather than attempting at narrative. As a mother, the speaker has been through her child's ups and downs. The child's current state is troubling for the mom, who concludes, "you need me." The poet uses repetition skillfuly, as with beginning each stanza with a progressive verb ending in -- ing, which suggests ongoing activity. The poet's issue has yet to be resolved, and this lack of resolution is conveyed in the diction of the poem.

III. Shoe Sonnet

The shoes I see they stare at me all day

All sorts of colors that I love to see

Some begging to be worn so I can play

Some others that just shout please look at me!

The stunning array of soles in the world

Is not unlike the fields of wild flowers

From seed to bud to stem to leaf unfurled

So much like superheroes with powers

To look upon the leather and the heels

And the sequins and the sparkles they bear

Each pair, distinct, unique in its appeals

I need, I want, to have them all to share

The key to happiness is the right shoe

Even those who wear one pair know it's true.

Commentary: This seemingly silly sonnet nevertheless keeps to the traditional Shakespearean structure, which demands iambic pentameter and a structured ABABCDCDEFEFGG rhyme scheme. Moreover, the sonnet is developed according to the requisite thematic structure: which entails the opening metaphor, the development of that metaphor, and a resolution that sometimes involves a sort of "twist." The metaphor here is cloaked well, but it seems to be poorly developed. It seems as if the poet wants to compare shoe diversity to the diversity in humanity. Yet the ultimate goal is not accomplished as well as it could be by the final couplet.

IV. Haikus celebrate

Haikus celebrate

Frivolous human beings

Shunning the dour

V. Parrots

Cheerful loud squawking

Dancing when the rain arrives

Freely flying now

VI. Skeletons

Skeletons and death

Monstrous shadows in the night

Happy Halloween

Commentary: This trio of haikus offers a delightful insight into the incredible potential and range of this poetic form. The first of the haikus, "Haikus Celebrate" is a reflexive celebration of the poetic form, which in turn celebrates the whimsical or "frivolous" side of human nature. "Shunning the dour," the speaker suggests that the purpose of a haiku should be to uplift and energize the soul. A haiku may seem frivolous, but that side of human nature must be explored. The second haiku of this collection is called "Parrots," but the titular bird is mentioned nowhere in the verse. Instead, the poet paints a lively portrait of the brightly colored creatures. Because it is about nature, this is the only haiku of the trio that resembles traditional Japanese haiku. Finally, we have "Skeletons." "Skeletons" is a strange haiku that seems gothic at first, but offers a clever and amusing twist at the end.

VII. Acrostic Fun

Belly full

Eat some pork

Enjoy each sip

On our long march to the grave?

Commentary: This is a free verse poem that capitalizes on the word "march," and its many connotations in the English language. The month of March is named after the Greek god of war, Mars, making the imagery of the soldiers in war especially meaningful in this poem. References to the Million Man March's fight for freedom and liberty then link the impetus for the military endeavor with the ideology behind the civil rights movement. Therefore, the poet suggests that many wars, however messy, are fought to preserve the rights and freedoms of the people they defend. The poem takes a radical thematic turn, as reference to the charity March of Dimes leads to a frank discussion of death. A nihilistic tone is therefore juxtaposed with one that was, just a few lines earlier, peaceful.

XI. Legacy

A great son of man

A king among kings

He marched and he ran

To let freedom ring

Iconic hero

Who did many things

As strong as Nero

Martin Luther King

This is a rhyming poem, albeit not one with any traditional structure. Each line has five metric feet, or five syllables. The rhyme scheme is ABABCBCB. Although it is not divided into quatrains, it could be, because there are eight lines total. The poem is short, and pithy. There are no metaphors; only the one historical allusion used to compare Martin Luther King with the Roman emperor Nero. The purpose of the poem is to underscore the many meanings of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. His very name implies the great legacy that King left.

XII. Legacy Part 2: The Ballad of Martin Luther King

Encased in verse, King, it would not be the first

Time that freedom rang from your song

Your light shed gold upon our planet

Delicate balance of truth, fiction, glory, cruelty

You were taken from us, but You did your duty

King, your legacy lives and lingers and lives long

You, the hero, your inspiration, your dream

Indelible impressions on immature souls

Now yours is encased in stone.

Commentary: This poem contains several poetic devices including alliteration (legacy lives, lingers…lives long) and also "indelible impressions on immature souls." There is also half or internal rhyme that is both internal and end rhyme. For example, "Encased in verse, King, it would not be the first" contains an internal half line with "verse" and "first." The vowel sound rhymes, but they are not truly rhyming words. The word "encased" is used twice, once in the first line of the poem and then again at the end. Encased suggests being wrapped or covered; King is symbolically wrapped by his legacy. His image has been carved into a large block of stone for posterity in the new monument in Washington, D.C. King's death also connotes a different types of casing: the casing of a casket. In fact, the imagery of being encased in stone suggests the stone used in cemetery mortuaries. The poem is about the death of King, and the legacy that he left behind.

XIII. Voices

From the television they spoke

Action to provoke

In her tormented mind

All thoughts did evoke

She was one of a kind

Only she'd never find

A way out

Of the traps in her mind

Sometimes they would shout

Scream, spew cursing about

Tell her she's the one

Of her mind, she's out.

They pumped her up with drugs

As if she were a common street thug

It felt like she was being mugged

To stop that pain that she lugged.

Commentary: "Voices" is a quatrain with a "chain rhyme" scheme. Its rhyming pattern is aaba, bbcb, ccdc, dddd. The effect of this pattern is actually similar to that of a sonnet, because the fourth and final verse is different from those prior. In a sonnet, the last two lines form a thematically and formally distinct rhyming couplet. "Voices" is a powerful quatrain, one about a young girl with some type of mental illness, most likely schizophrenia. The title refers to her hearing voices in her head. The voices come from the television and all around her; and she is "out" of her mind. Ironically, the only way to help her is to add torment and near torture to the already persistent inner pain she experiences on a daily basis. The final verse suggests that she was taken to a psychiatric ward. Because the reader does not know what happens to the girl, there is a sense of lingering dread.

XIV. Miss T

A ballad for Temperance, Queen of Restraint

She once writhed on the floor for any who adored her

Lying with any and all, be they male or female

Prior to her reign, Miss T, she drank herself into stupors

Again and again.

Then one day, Miss T, she heard the jokes, you see

She listened into ballads like these

Sung by her friends, the lasses and lads

All who she thought liked her, well, they liked her

In the way they liked the puppy in the room next door

Upon hearing of her soiled name, Miss T. became

Temperance, changing her name

Becoming the Queen of Restraint

But in name only, the shame.

This ballad is executed in the lyrical style of old or middle English ballads. There is no regular rhyming scheme, but occasionally end rhymes and internal rhymes are used to enhance to sonority of the verse. The humor embedded in the tone, theme, and style of the poem make it memorable and conducive to being read out loud.