Tonight’s weekly short form poetry workshop featured a form based on a literary device commonly known as an epistrophe.   This is, also, sometimes called epiphora or anistrophe.    An epistrophe “is the repetition of words or a phrase at the end of successive sentences, paragraphs, or stanzas.  It is similar to anaphora, where the same word or phrase starts a stanza, sentence, or clause.  Epistrophe is used in poetry, speeches, and persuasive writing.”

It has a certain familiarity to it in that the Ghazal form and bop and writing songs use this device often.  I came up with two poems in this form.  The first:

Stormy Moments
by Michael Romani

Standing there hands on hips
Your emotions moving your lips
Snap goes your feelings
Sending your head reeling
As you speak before you think
Taking us to the brink
You bellow with your thunder
But it's your lightning that strikes

You're sure you have a lot to say
As your eyes give it all away
Telling me all of what's on your mind
And repeat it twice, just to remind
Where you have really have nothing
You shout it into that something
You bellow with your thunder
But it's your lightning that strikes

Certain that you're twice as clever
My agreement you seek but never
Ever willing to give my side a listen
As your crocodile tears glisten
Feigning that you'll keep me in your prayers
While wondering aloud why I glare
You bellow with your thunder
But it's your lightning that strikes

Give it a show, as you glower and go
Certain you have something I should know
That's it; stand a little louder
Undignified yet somehow prouder
Shooting familiar daggers from your eyes
And you wonder aloud at your feigned surprise
You bellow with your thunder
But it's your lightning that strikes

(c) May 2, 2017 Michael Romani