TheBanyanTree: My Sestina

[Indiglow]

Ooooh, your definition/description is sooooo much more relaxed and gentle than ones I saw (which required rhythm etc.)...  I like it!  Sending one of mine from many, many years ago - with the tighter parameters - imperfect though it might be.
 
 
Future's Steward
 
Nebuchadnezzar called the young man "Captive;"
chosen from the slaves to be his steward,
respected for his courage and his wisdom,
with rulers of the kingdom he found favor;
Unbowing to the will of human judges,
the counsel of the Lord sufficed for Daniel.
Ascetic amid kingly splendor, Daniel
would not let his spirit be man's captive.
Yet, when Babylon's wise men and her judges
failed their king, he called upon his steward,
charging, "If you wish to find my favor,
explain dreams unexplained by men of wisdom."
He told that Babylon would fall, for wisdom
and the strength of faith were gifts to Daniel.
The Medes as well held Daniel in their favor,
until King Darius became his own law's captive.
He cursed the condemnation of his steward
until daybreak fed the lions with his judges.
The very name says none but God are judges,
and like your namesake, Daniel, you have wisdom.
We prepare you boldly as the steward 
of the future.  Know your power, Daniel.
You, like the prophet, are your wisdom's captive;
you are charged to find that wisdom's favor.
Now, as a child, you're looked upon with favor;
you do not bow to your parental judges;
All within your world are willing captive
to you, as your ageless toddler wisdom
shows the promise and the strength of Daniel.
Your family is your humble, hopeful steward.
Learn what it means for you to be a steward;
do not seek the crowd's inconstant favor;
search for peace, and for the grace of Daniel;
heed not those who set themselves as judges;
seek a higher counsel for your wisdom;
secure within yourself, make truth your captive.
You are no man's captive, all men's steward;
within your wisdom you will find man's favor
and walk with judges.  Carry love, my Daniel.
1982

Peace,
Jana

--- On Thu, 2/23/12, dseaman77 at gmail.com <dseaman77 at gmail.com> wrote:


From: dseaman77 at gmail.com <dseaman77 at gmail.com>
Subject: TheBanyanTree: My Sestina
To: thebanyantree at lists.remsset.com
Date: Thursday, February 23, 2012, 3:32 PM


How a sestina is structured.

There are six six-line stanzas and one three-line stanza.

Take the six words at the ends of the lines in the first stanza (labeled here ABCDEF) and repeat them at the ends of lines in the other six-line stanzas--in a different order each time.  Just to make it insanely hard, this is the order of the transformations:

1. ABCDEF
2. FAEBDC
3. CFDABE
4. ECBFAD
5. DEACFB
6. BDFECA
And then the lines of the last stanza (just three lines long) should end with ECA and have BDF within the lines.

There's no standard meter, and it doesn't have to rhyme.

So here is my assignment:
Moon Storm

the two eternities peak
alone in the pith moon-dust storm rider
raise your sail
catch the storm
grab the mast standing true
between sunrise and sunset proceed

at syzygy apex proceed
at the eternities take a peek
yet to your course stay true
moon-dust storm rider
surf the cosmic wave through the storm
the board and the mast were a burdensome sale

against the tempest raise sail
into the dust the sun proceeds
this morning is your storm
a hot wind that will flash peak
through the sunrise no rider
has ever voyaged so true

pole to pole the storm is true
the apex of dark and light is where to sail
grasp the mast lunar-dust storm rider
along the twilight proceed
where the knife edges peak
reflecting dawn’s storm

it’s a lunar storm
the tale is true
the sun makes it peak
dust catches in the sail
the board proceeds
that makes one a moon-dust storm rider

moon-dust storm riders
ride the wave of the storm
into the gale they will proceed
the mast flexing yet true
the sands hurl against the sail
muscles burn at their peak

lunar-dust storm rider to your course proceed true
this trip cannot be corrupted, it is not for sale
because at odds, the two eternities peak


Dave Seaman