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It Cometh: a dormasha

David, of W3 We’ave Weekly Poetry Prompt the Poet of the Week this week, and he invites us to write a Dormasha. What’s a dormasha? It’s a nonce poem invented by David himself and Sangeetha. Here are the guidelines.

This week’s W3 poetry prompt is to compose a ‘Dormasha’ of at least three stanzas!

Dormasha?
Child of the Shadorma
(the Shadorma has a syllabic structure of 3/5/3/3/7/5 per line);
•Any number of stanzas, just like the Shadorma;
•At least one stanza must rearrange the order of the classic Shadorma’s syllabic lines;
(e.g., 5/3/7/3/5/3 or 3/3/3/7/5/5, 7/3/3/5/3/5, etc., etc.);
•No two stanzas of the Dormasha can have the same syllabic line structure.

I enjoyed this new poetry form. I liken its structure to that of playing different chord conversions in music. I wrote It Cometh thinking of the three syllabic lines as chord triads, and the seven syllabic lines as a seventh chord, and so on. 

It Cometh

A crow cawing loud, ergo Breaks the reverie | Digital oil painting©️Lesley Scoble
It Cometh 


I. 
By the way, 
on an autumn day 
in the wood, 
it feels good 
walking under tuneful trees
singing with the breeze 

II. 
Stepping on the crunch of death 
Oh, sweet dying breath 
of gold leafy fall;
beauty’s wraith 
wherewithal, 
It cometh.

III. 
What cometh? 
Don’t you know? 
I haven’t a clue 
The time is nigh, the time is 
due. It cometh soon 
What doth come? 

IV. 
It shall reappear
in the sky 
the soft, silent, winsome moon 
‘tis nearby 
the oak, wolf 
and the snow… 

V.
A crow cawing loud, ergo
Breaks the reverie
An alert
Warning cry
To fly; and
in affright did flee

VI.
Shush! Quiet! 
What is that that stirs 
in the firs 
up ahead? 
What is’t you have heard? 
Hush! breathe one word—we are dead. 

VII. 
They stand still 
Hold their breath 
Afraid to apprise the foe 
Pray, what’s that rustle? 
Is it death? 
They don’t care to know. 

VIII.
He draws his longbow 
and shoots the arrow 
missing by a narrow mile 
(Nay, don’t smile!)
 ‘tis safer
Now, let’s go!

Lesley Scoble, October 2023

Thank you, David (and Sangeetha) for this dormasha of a prompt!

Lesley lives in the City of London Square Mile. An artist, actor and sculptor (her first ceramic sculpture won the V&A inspired by… Award). Scenic artist & book illustrator, playwright, (her musical play, Rapscallion performed in inner city schools and theatre school); TV dancer; Animator and illustrator for TV production. Set up Pinecone Studios Ltd and IIMSI Ltd drama and filmmaking workshops in London – producing award-winning films made by children.

lesleyscoble

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31 responses to “It Cometh: a dormasha”

  3. I love this one! The ending is so wonderful harkening back to a father using a broom to “sweep” the monsters out from under the bed!! The archer repels the unknown with a random arrow!!! Brilliant!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Enormous thank you, Muri. 🙏😊💓 I enjoyed the challenge of this poetry form.
      How wonderful sweeping away monsters from under the bed. ❤️ Perfect dad.
      (I love the brilliant word) 😁 I’m now a happy bunny. 🐰 xx

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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