Wedge Tails
Wedge Tails
Wedge Tails (sonnet #5)
This morning of a sunny winter’s day
I saw two specks against the bluest sky.
On thermals circled predators on high;
Two floating flecks, they searched the ground for prey;
Carefree, and kings of all that they survey.
Do these great birds in joyous spirit fly?
Or simply soar to reach a place to spy;
How can we know? The eagles will not say.
And man who claims dominion from his birth,
In truth has not the freedom of these birds
Who gaze uncaring on the human herds;
On man the wisest creature of the earth.
But could they trade their liberty for words,
They’d surely judge their wings of greater worth.
© Dennis N. O'Brien, 2012
This morning of a sunny winter’s day
I saw two specks against the bluest sky.
On thermals circled predators on high;
Two floating flecks, they searched the ground for prey;
Carefree, and kings of all that they survey.
Do these great birds in joyous spirit fly?
Or simply soar to reach a place to spy;
How can we know? The eagles will not say.
And man who claims dominion from his birth,
In truth has not the freedom of these birds
Who gaze uncaring on the human herds;
On man the wisest creature of the earth.
But could they trade their liberty for words,
They’d surely judge their wings of greater worth.
© Dennis N. O'Brien, 2012
- Maureen K Clifford
- Posts: 8153
- Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:31 am
- Location: Ipswich - Paul Pisasale country and home of the Ipswich Poetry Feast
- Contact:
Re: Wedge Tails
Lovely Dennis - just lovely. Loud applause from me and I totally agree with 99% of your sentiments. Are men the wisest creatures on earth?????? I would doubt that at times
I love your poem
Cheers
Maureen

I love your poem
Cheers
Maureen
Check out The Scribbly Bark Poets blog site here -
http://scribblybarkpoetry.blogspot.com.au/
I may not always succeed in making a difference, but I will go to my grave knowing I at least tried.
http://scribblybarkpoetry.blogspot.com.au/
I may not always succeed in making a difference, but I will go to my grave knowing I at least tried.
Re: Wedge Tails
Thanks Maureen and Jim.
Maybe not so wise at times Maureen.
Jim: Yes I've started numbering the sonnets to keep track of what's what.
Maybe not so wise at times Maureen.

Jim: Yes I've started numbering the sonnets to keep track of what's what.
- Stephen Whiteside
- Posts: 3784
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 1:07 pm
- Contact:
Re: Wedge Tails
Very nice, Dennis. What exactly is a sonnet?
Stephen Whiteside, Australian Poet and Writer
http://www.stephenwhiteside.com.au
http://www.stephenwhiteside.com.au
Re: Wedge Tails
Thanks Stephen. Well I'm no expert by a long way but
basically 14 lines of iambic pentameter in either
the English or Italian rhyming pattern/patterns is common.
This is an Italian sonnet and consists of an octave and sestet.
(8 then 6 lines).
There are lots or variations on the above.
I've written one with 11 syllables in the sestet and I still call it a sonnet.
I don't know whether there are many "bush" poems written in this form.
Can't see why not though.
I've posted another one in User's poetry.
basically 14 lines of iambic pentameter in either
the English or Italian rhyming pattern/patterns is common.
This is an Italian sonnet and consists of an octave and sestet.
(8 then 6 lines).
There are lots or variations on the above.
I've written one with 11 syllables in the sestet and I still call it a sonnet.
I don't know whether there are many "bush" poems written in this form.
Can't see why not though.
I've posted another one in User's poetry.
- Stephen Whiteside
- Posts: 3784
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 1:07 pm
- Contact:
Re: Wedge Tails
Thanks for this, Dennis. I still don't get the appeal, though. What's so special about 14? I'd have been more impressed if you'd made the second verse eight lines also, following the same rhyming pattern as the first verse. Call me a pedant. (You wouldn't be the first...)
Stephen Whiteside, Australian Poet and Writer
http://www.stephenwhiteside.com.au
http://www.stephenwhiteside.com.au
Re: Wedge Tails
No Stephen, I wouldn't call you a pedant, you'll have to be a lot
more pedantic than that around here to earn that tag from me.
You just don't like sonnets that's all. If I did what you said it wouldn't then be
a sonnet, but then again perhaps I could and we could name it the
O'Brien/Whiteside sonnet variation - always wanted to be famous.
more pedantic than that around here to earn that tag from me.

You just don't like sonnets that's all. If I did what you said it wouldn't then be
a sonnet, but then again perhaps I could and we could name it the
O'Brien/Whiteside sonnet variation - always wanted to be famous.

- Stephen Whiteside
- Posts: 3784
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 1:07 pm
- Contact:
Re: Wedge Tails
You'd have ABBAABBA ABBAABBA, wouldn't you - ABBAABBA squared, or ABBA to the power of four. There are some that say that one is more than enough, but I've always been rather fond of them. Are sonnets ever used as song lyrics?
Stephen Whiteside, Australian Poet and Writer
http://www.stephenwhiteside.com.au
http://www.stephenwhiteside.com.au
Re: Wedge Tails
Ah... so that's where they got their name from.
Well sonnet means "little song" so I guess a sonnet could be sung
but don't ask me to do it.

Well sonnet means "little song" so I guess a sonnet could be sung
but don't ask me to do it.
