Poetry Forms - the Letter C, part 2

[written_leaves]

Six more, mostly small again and with a wide variety.

Chanso: Crocosmia

Beneath the oak tree, finally bare,
Their leaning remnants gold declare
A memory of summer air.

Combed out in lines by raking care,
As mothers ease from tangled hair,
Stems ochre, leaves blond-golden fair.

Summer's flame fair,
Winter's gold hair.

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Chant: Beginning

He made the gold grains growing,
He made the brown creased bark,
He made the red cherry ripening,
He made the pungent sweet sage,
He made the loam crumbling lightly,
He made the heavy, hard clay.
He made the bluebell bulbs spreading,
He made the sweet alyssum shining,
He made the peony petals dropping,
He made the apples shading all.
Praise the Creator of climbing vines,
Praise the Maker of oak and madrone,
Praise the Beginner of blooms and birds,
He is the Alpha, in Him all began.

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Chantey (Shanty): Squintin' Tom

Whenever we're sailing
_ _ _ _ there's luck with our ship.
We've a four-legged crewman
_ _ _ _ wi' a tail like a whip,
He's growlin' and prowlin'
_ _ _ _ and quick with a rat,
He's Squintin' Tom, the Captain's cat.

No matter the weather,
_ _ _ _ he's up in the sails,
A-watchin' the sailors,
_ _ _ _ and walkin' the rails,
He's a mean one, a lean one,
_ _ _ _ who'll join any spat,
He's Squintin' Tom, the Captain's cat.

O Squintin' Tom!
He ate rum-soaked mice,
But though he were lucky,
He weren't very nice.

There was a voyage
_ _ _ _ as sure as you're born,
When ol' Squintin' Tom
_ _ _ _ took us from a storm;
Clawed up the steersman,
_ _ _ _ bit a thumb off they say,
That hard-to-port saved the day.

O Squintin' Tom!
He ate rum-soaked mice,
But though he were lucky,
He weren't very nice.

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Choka: Choka Full-a Weeds

All around the yard
Small green invasions spring up,
Spiky, sticky weeds,
Bindweed, pigweed and horsetail,
Plantains and clover,
Dandelions and hairy vetch,
Quack-grass bunches, mint,
Swaying heads of Queen Anne's lace,
Unwanted saplings;
Ash, hawthorne, cherry,
An invading array,
A large small army,
With the grass-roots beneath them
Giving the home team support.

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Choriambic: Chickweed

Chickweed carpet beneath cedars,
_ _ _ _ with tenacious and tiny seeds,
Springing, launching, a touch releases
_ _ _ _ tens, millions to fly, to sprout.
First in springtime, so green, innocent,
_ _ _ _ fresh, new - taking over yards
In surprisingly quick bounds.
_ _ _ _ How can I eradicate these weeds?
Thousands, thousands and tens of
_ _ _ _ thousands up, over and over now,
No hope, except for harvests of their
_ _ _ _ Bright florets, small stars of white.

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Cinquains: Spring

Snowing
Tips of crocus
As if shy in showing
Preview the next season's focus:
Crocus.

Warming,
Red buds carry
Promise: blossoms forming,
Saplings sprung - squirrel stones buried,
Cherry.

Flocking
Brown backs bobbin',
Hidden earthworms stalking.
In the grasses dozens mobbin',
Robins.

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