Free Spirit

 His death
                        An accident or fate?
                        Substance became surreal.

No wind      
                       Time stopped awhile, somewhere I heard a bell peal
                       Bereavement surrounds me, all seemed distant and late.

A loud clamor

                      The window lay
                      Unbroken on the kitchen tile
                      Had a phantom blown it
                      Out of its frame?

My thoughts confused and afraid

                      Overpowering my doubts
                      Unplanned words took form
                      I heard:

                                                    "Goodbye
                                                            I came back to say, ...No tears,
                                                            Keep faith, stay strong, and with
                                                            Courage endure the events of
                                                            Approaching years.

                                                            Don't forget me
                                                            Or the times we shared.
                                                            I couldn't leave
                                                            Without telling you I cared."

The stillness left the room
With an incandescent glare.
Outside the breeze took shape and direction.
I put the window back in its frame
And signed the relief of benediction.

                                         © Gay Reiser Cannon * All Rights Reserved

This was written about someone who died while
we were dating long ago; it is a true account.
I was alone, and the evening was still, hot, humid.

Revenant

(c) Andrew Wyeth - Self Portrait - 1949

 Low monstrous howls disturb our woods tonight;
the sea breaks ghosts in waves against the rocks.
Their echoes shriek within the house where light
and shadows shift in patterns on old clocks.

   The hours toss on hollow, dark tick-tocks
   The mirror oscillates with movement too
   I'm shocked!  Its silver casts the shape of you.

I jump as closet doors now creak, floors squeak.
The clouds outrace the moon to sheath the stars.
The room is cloaked in gloom and all seems bleak.

     My mind plays tricks, I hear your bass guitar;
     those ostinato beats resound afar.

          In rhythmic drones they fade to solo song;
          a sad oboe's atonement from beyond.

Poem (c) Gay Reiser Cannon * 2011

I broke the two 7 line stanzas (a b a b b c c) two ways to show the "dversity" of the form.  The first a quatrain and a tercet; the second a terza rima and two couplets.  I didn't have to break them but I broke and indented them for effect and to show the structure.

A study for Rime Royal at dVersepoets today 7/28/11 starting at 3 p.m. Eastern, 9 p.m. UK
Join me there, please!