Roses for my Birthday

I wanted to find some interesting styles of poetry for 2022. Metered poetry has always been a challenge for me. I discovered I subconsciously avoided the challenge of dabbling in this particular writing pattern. This year I decided to spread my wings and fly into the face of the storm. I stumbled across the Aquarian by accident and thought it might be interesting to play with this metered style during the last part of January and the entire month of February. This one I will call Roses for my Birthday.

I am discovering this style of poetry is harder than it first appeared. You only have to develop fourteen syllables for each stanza, but sometimes you want to write more. Plus, I find the constant counting of the syllables distracting. I also have to fight the urge to create rhythms. These short poems have gotten darker, and I am not sure why. Maybe it’s caused by the dark winter or all the conflicting messages we get these days. One thing for sure, sadness captured my attention during this dark winter.

About the Aquarian and Roses for my Birthday

Maris Mazz created this metered style of poetry.

Each stanza has lines of 2/4/6/2 syllables. They can have any number of stanzas creating multiples of 4 lines. They aren’t supposed to rhythm at all.

Roses for my Birthday

Roses
For my Birthday
Sent secretly by my
New York

City son
A secret gift
He and the Rooster planned
To warm

A dark
Day with brilliant
Shades of red bouquet of
Beauty

Sitting
On my kitchen
Table with petals that
To spread

In a
Day or two in
The crystal vase they came
Through the

Door when
Rooster brought them
Into the house for me
To start

The small
February 
Birthday celebration
For me

This is 
A wonderful
Reminder I must have
Done at

Least one
Thing right to have
Such a thoughtful caring
Warm son

Who is Molly Shea?

Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh.  To read more of her short stories and adventures, click here.

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