Dirty Knees

Udit Bhatia invented cascade poetry in 2007. This relatively new style of poetry got its name because it should flow down the page in a waterfall effect. The poem’s structure is simple and relies on the refrain to create the cascading rhythm. The magic of these poems centers around the refrain. The unmetered poems vary in theme depending on the poet’s desire. The only rule used when writing a cascade is that all the lines in the first paragraph are repeated at the ends of every stanza that follows. I will call this cascade poem Dirty Knees.

Structure of a cascade poem and Dirty Knees

The lines are represented as ABC.

1. The first line ends with line A.
2. The second line ends with Line B.
3. The third line ends with line C.

I had written this form of poetry before and had fun with it. I plan to start the month of March using this style. The length of the stanza can vary. There is no rule about sticking to three lines. The thing to remember is that the longer the stanza, the more complicated the poem.

Dirty Knees

It wasn’t a kindness to disappear
Vanishing into the dying light
Without a word about your leaving
Me with empty hands and dirty knees

There were a million words I needed to hear
That was never uttered in the silence
That surrounded my heart with violence
It wasn’t a kindness to disappear.

You know what you did wasn’t right
The callus way you diminished my pain
A messy blot and a filthy stain
Vanishing into the dying light

I stand looking down the hill, grieving
The absence of a father’s love
Did my childish voice whisper above
Without a word about your leaving

That spring, I didn’t feel a breeze

Tears were shed and wiped away 
I remember how I begged you to stay
Me with empty hands and dirty knees

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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