FAST Sonnets in Cyberspace #1

The sonnet is perhaps the best poem structure for the attention-distracted, on-the-go citizens of the 21st century. No lengthy free verse here — instead, 14 compact lines, 10 syllables per line, accompanied by certain rhyme schemes.

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THE BACKBOARD, though blemished, the years bear well,
Witness to losses, wild wins. But the rim
Droops low, lifeless — will no more fame foretell,
Ground right-angled. From driveway of time, dim
Voices call like playground hymns, bounding ball
Echoes … as cold mist mantles summer park,
A child’s lost memories shroud my heart, hopes maul —
For ere my dreams danced, they cried in the dark.
Dad-and-son team, signed to play side-by-side,
Torn apart on blacktop of time — facade
Of years won’t chase the pain or keep it hid —
While this father-taught game grieves at the trade.
   Oh, when I teach my son asphalt ballet —
   On forsaken Son’s court — with him I’ll stay.

© Bruce William Deckert 2012

NOTES
Poetry 411 — This is a Shakespearean (or English) sonnet. The rhyme scheme — the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line — is as follows: abab cdcd efef gg. Each letter represents a different rhyme, and the gg rhyme is called the closing couplet.

Alternate closing couplet
I’ll teach my newborn son asphalt ballet —
And like incarnate Son, with him I’ll stay.

Poll — Yes, you can vote for the closing couplet you prefer…