A Birthday Poem for Ragamuffen

This is written in iambic something-or-other. I know tetrameter is four metrical feet per line, and pentameter is five metrical feet per line. But what’s the name for three? I don’t know that. So, anyway. It’s iambic. And it’s got three metrical feet per line. And it’s for Ragamuffen. Happy Birthday, love!

A poet-child is just
a star whose heart is far
beyond the grasp of those
who never learned to look
beyond their fears. She hears
a song not meant for them.
She sings for those who love
the light. She dances with
the muses as the world
around her slumbers. And
she wonders why they do
not dance and why they slum-
ber on.

As though a star had slipped
its moorings, drifted earth-
ward landing in a sim-
ple town — a neighborhood
not meant for stars. She came
and brought her light into
a darkened room, and some
(who didn’t understand
the way of stars) were burned.
They couldn’t see for all
her light. And so they wound-
ed beauty, but she still
shone on.

A ragamuffin star
is bound by all that makes
a star a star. She must
shine on.

0 thoughts on “A Birthday Poem for Ragamuffen”

  1. But what’s the name for three?
    Simple enough. It’s actually just trimeter. Yep, according to the eighth edition of the Handbook to Literature, three metrical feet per line is called trimeter.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top
Scroll to Top