poetry form

“Brotherhood”

The small boys walk to the edge
Staring at forever stretched beyond
And small tho they be, they both pledge
As ducks drift upon the pond
The boys are brothers with hair of blonde
The stand holding their small stone cache
They promise to be there on and on
Tossin’ rocks in the water, just to see ’em splash

The months and years pass with age
Families grow and kids are spawned
Time and stress test the gage
Of brothers promise and childhood bond
Respect is lost and none respond
The boys don’t talk as words are rash
The friendship lost by brothers kedged
Tossin’ rocks in the water, just to see ’em splash

Then come one day nearby the hedge
A brother falls upon the ground
Though words are bitter upon the ledge
They mend the years, though moribond
Hands are held counting each second
The years melt away, no longer lash
Two boys are one in brotherly fond
Tossin’ rocks in the water, just to see ’em splash

They talk of the past and fail to reason
Why they let their friendship crash
The purity of youth destroys despond
Tossin’ rocks in the water, just to see ’em splash

About This Poetry Form

Name: Ballade
Description: Poetry which has three stanzas of seven, eight (this poem has eight) or ten lines and a shorter final stanza of four or five. All stanzas end with the same one line refrain.

There are some variations of the ballade form that should be mentioned.

• Ballade royal: This ballade variation uses four stanzas of seven lines instead of three stanzas of eight, lacks an envoi, and is always written in iambic pentameter.
• Ballade supreme: A ballade variation that has three stanzas of ten lines with a rhyme scheme of “ababbccdcD” and an envoi of five or six lines with a rhyme scheme of either “ccdcD” or “ccdccD”.
• Double-refrain ballade: A ballade variation in which line four of the first stanza, as well as line eight, become refrains. The rhyme scheme of the envoi changes as well, becoming “bBcC” to reflect the double refrain.

About This Series

Read more about this series here.