The High Cost of Living

I skidded into June without even tapping the brakes. Time seems to slip through my fingers the further I travel down the road. I decided to take a pit stop at the poetic form called a Dansa. This style of poetry, known as an Occitan (the official language of Catalonia) this form has no set meter. This lyrical poetry style comes from the Occitan words for “to dance.” I called this Dansa Poem The High Cost of Living. I broke the rules and changed the repeating line slightly.

Guidelines for writing a Dansa Poem and  The High Cost of Living

*Opening quintain (Or five-line stanza) followed by quatrains (or four-lined stanzas)

*The opening line of the first stanza is the final line of every stanza

*Rhyme scheme in the opening stanza: AbbaA (Capitol represents the refrain

*Rhyme scheme in the other stanzas: bbaA

There are no other rules.

Note: I will also be adding Black Out Poems as we go along the way. I plan to keep using this style until the book I’m using runs out of pages for me to play with to create these unique and visual poems. I’m excited about jogging down this road.

The High Cost of Living

I went to the grocery store today
For eggs, milk, bread, and a little meat
Maybe have a little left over for a sugary treat
When I got to the check out, I couldn’t afford to pay
I went to the grocery store today

I hate to admit I have old feet
My car needs fuel to travel the street
Pulled up to the pump and suffered dismay
I went to the gas station today

I ventured outside in the heat
Can’t afford to live because I’m not elite
Picked up the mail and my heart turned grey
I got my utility bills today

Had to pick up my medicine to make my day complete
When I heard the price, I felt like mincemeat
My heart skipped a beat, and I started to sway
I went to the pharmacy today.

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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