Blood of Innocence: We Weep

Tanaga Tuesday

Streets flow with rivers of blood
And tears for lost innocence,
But do we make some pretense
Of concern for victimhood?

How now, then, will we respond
To such senseless violence
And screams from an ambulance
Answering hatred hell-spawned?

Can we not look for the day
When peace reigns in every heart
And all choose the better part
In pure love without dismay?

For now, though, we weep in pain,
Seeing again victims dead,
And feeling such awful dread,
Knowing this is all insane

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Note: The Tanaga is a Filipino stanzaic form that was originally written in Tagolog. The form dates back to the 16th century and has an oral tradition. Syllabic with 7 syllables per line in any number of quatrains. Originally rhymed aaaa bbbb cccc etc., modern Tanagas also use aabb ccdd etc or abba cddc etc or any combination rhyme can be used.

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Notes: Escapril Challenge 3

Notes float gently by
Sing to make me cry
From my soul to you
So truly lovely
With taste of honey

Notes float gently
Strike intently
Lay me so low
Only you know

Fine notes float
Enter ears
Catch in throat

Soaring
Calling

Notes

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Note: A diminished hexaverse is a poem containing stanzas of 5 lines, then 4 lines, then 3 lines, then 2 lines, ending with one word. The syllables in each stanza correspond to the number of lines, i.e. 5 in each line in the first stanza, 4 in the second stanza and so on. This form may contain more than five stanzas.

I would like to thank Yassy, fellow poet and blogger, for introducing me to the hexaverse. Please visit her blog site, and especially read her own hexaverse poem, Springtime.