Tag Archives: quatern

The Waning – A Quatern

Luna’s face in grace surrenders
Even with earth’s shadow creeping
Brighter still, she smiles rememb’ring
Her full phase dance with gravity

Inevitable darkness looms
Luna’s face in grace surrenders
Wiser from the lessons rendered
New moon waxing into fullness

Every living being knows from
birth to death it’s days are numbered
Luna’s face in grace surrenders
Never fading, into crescent

Soon will come the reaper’s sickle
Her escort to eternal rest
Just beyond the veil of darkness
Luna’s face in grace surrenders.

kat ~ 25 March 2016

A Quatern is a sixteen line French form composed of four quatrains. It is similar to the Kyrielle and the Retourne. It has a refrain that is in a different place in each quatrain. The first line of stanza one is the second line of stanza two, third line of stanza three, and fourth line of stanza four. A quatern has eight syllables per line. It does not a set rhyme scheme.

line 1
line 2
line 3
line 4

line 5
line 6 (line 1)
line 7
line 8

line 9
Line 10
line 11 (line 1)
line 12

line 13
line 14
line 15
line 16 (line 1)


Sand Castle

chateau-de-sable-ceayr

Photo Credit: © ceayr

Behind the iron gate she stands
Chateau de Sable, on the shore
memory infused walls of clay
whispering dreamy tales of yore.

Though the gales whip and bluster
Behind the iron gate she stands
Harboring the earthbound specters
who haunt her corridors of sand.

Those who venture for a gander
novice paranormal seekers
behind the iron gate she stands
to delight these wide-eyed peepers.

Spectacled eternal prison
enlightened pilgrims understand
Chateau de Sable holds no light
behind the iron gate she stands.

kat ~ 30 January 2016
(83 Words/Genre: Poetry-Quatern)

Something a little different for Rochelle Wisoff-Fields Friday Fictioneer challenge…a little ghostly tale a la quatern. To read other stories, click HERE.


Fire and Ice


Fire and ice collide at dawn
‘Midst brittle webs of ebon lace
Nipped by blustery gusts of wind
First to behold sun’s golden face.

As Luna trips horizon’s edge
Fire and ice collide at dawn
Passage of celestial orbs
The moon and stars in denouement.

Crows cackaw and squirrels chortle,
Songbird twitterings greet the sight
Fire and ice collide at dawn
To bid adieu to black of night.

Dew drop diamond sparkles chatter
Earth is awash in morning song
Rousing all the sleepy dreamers
Fire and ice collide at dawn.

kat ~ 9 January 2016
(A Quatern)