City Street

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 City Street.

Structure of a cascade poem and City Street

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.

City Street

Where are you right now?
Are you walking the city street,
Or watch from an Uber stuck in traffic?
Maybe you’re shopping at Trader Joe
Or sitting alone in the park
And I wonder if you think of me.

I wish you’d taken a final bow
Before you sashayed off the stage
I would have bought a better seat.
And sat back to enjoy the show
The second act  wasn’t followed by intermission.
Where are you right now?

Do you feel comfortable walking beside the elite?
The ones who can kill your soul for their amusement,
And step over the carnage lying on the concrete.
Leave your carcass behind when you turn from friend to foe.
Are you stuck or is their movement?
Are you walking the city street
I wish I had a wand to wave and perform magic
Like a performer on a street corner
To entertain the passersby with my ticks
Dressed in black like a talented mourner
Would you pass on the sidewalk as I song my licks,
Or watch from an Uber stuck in traffic?

Are you watching and need to know 
What’s behind the curtain of this peepshow?
Stalking pages on social media 
like a pervert looking for a thrill
A single piece of information 
Maybe you’re shopping at Trader Joe

Do you stubble around in the dark?
Searching for a place to start
Or maybe to find the exit sign.
Playing lost and found is a delicate art
It’s hard to come up with the perfect line.
Or sitting alone in the park?

I remember how things used to be,
Before the script was written for this play
Understanding doesn’t come easy 
The steps to this frantic dance
Cause so much damage once it’s done
 And I wonder if you think of me.

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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