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Sunday, January 4, 2015

A Ghazal for a King


When those strange and exotically clad kings
came with naïve questions to great Herod king

asking, “Where is the newly born
bright star heralded young lad king?”

they shook and frightened the dark city
that feared and despised the old mad king,

but the soldiers did exactly as they were told -
following orders, even those of a bad king.

Now I ask you, Carter, tell me:
how does this serve Heaven’s glad king?



I'm trying out a new poetic form here (I think i'm growing tired of limericks, at least for awhile).  The Ghazal is an ancient form of poem from Persia / Iran /India.  It is marked by five to fifteen couplets, the first establishing a pattern and refrain which the following couplets echo in the second line.  The final couplet also usually includes a reference to the poet's name either in the first or third person.  The Ghazal usually deals with love and loss and melancholy and theological and metaphysical questions.  This is my first attempt at a Ghazal.   

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Jeff Carter's books on Goodreads
Muted Hosannas Muted Hosannas
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