Poem a Day in February

February is Valentine's Day, and what a beautiful time to write Poem a Day in February! (PADIF) It can be all love poems or so many others. I post some of it on Facebook and some on here. A few nonsense poems so that has become a regular contest.

I am readying myself for February, where I post a minimum of one post and day and usually two or three more each day. By the end of the month, I am speaking in rhyme as I started this to learn to rhyme more for my grandson and his rap music.

For today, I am going to practice a Ghazal:

Typically about love, written in couplets, with no less than 5, and no more than 15, couplets. The couplets must end with a period. Each line has the same number of syllables.

Every ghazal has a radeef. A radeef is a refrain repeated at the end of certain lines. This refrain often titles the poem as well. The refrain appears at the end of lines 1 and 2, and then at the end of lines 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, etc. In other words, every even-numbered line, plus the first line.

Every ghazal has a kafiya. The kafiya is a rhyming phrase that precedes every radeef. The poem cannot repeat any kafiyas, so every radeef has its own unique kafiya.

The final couplet can have a self-reference. In other words, the poet can (and usually does) refer to themselves in the final couplet. Some contemporary ghazal examples eschew this rule, but most poems have the self-reference. Writers.com

Young love is the best love, the most exciting love,

it is something to boast about enticing love.

~

Second love is more mature, raising your children,

learning all the things you toast and noticing love.

~

The third love is the charm, grandchildren are around

some days we will roast the others exiting love.

~

You will be spending time growing old together

some days it will feel like a coast to finding love.

~

In old age, being with the same partner for years

is comfortable, not grandiose mining love.

~

I appreciate having been through it all now

and I’m happy now with the verbose rhyming love.

~~

Authors note: I would appreciate others also trying this format if you would. Or sharing any you have already done. Thank you.

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First published by Write Under the Moon on medium.com