The Milkwood Poem A Day #10 is the Kyrielle.  The word prompt for day 10 is ‘element’.

“Kyrielle is a French form inspired by a Christian devotional tradition, the Kyrie.”

“Like that call-and-response liturgical form, the kyrielle poem has a refrain that repeats as the last line of each stanza.”

“There are at least two stanzas, but as many more as you like.”

“There are four lines per stanza (quatrains), and 8 syllables per line.”

“The rhyme scheme is
aabB, ccbB, ddbB…
or you could go with a variation like
abaB, cbcB, dbdB…
where the capital B is the refrain.”

“Another variation is the Kyrielle Sonnet, where there are four stanzas, the fourth being only two lines long (a rhyming couplet), and its second line being the refrain– or, the fourth stanza could be two refrains, A (first line of entire poem) and then B (refrain).”

“This link has some samples of each: http://www.thepoetsgarret.com/repeat/kyrielle.html”

Kyrielle of Empowerment
by Michael Romani

The four horsemen have long ridden
Taking their coup wholly unbidden
Spending time in a mass huddle
Humanity has overcome trouble

Of the three that have cost the most
The horseman of war has played host
Rebuilding new life from the rubble
Humanity has overcome trouble

God's will starves a hungry nation
As famine leads desperation
Malnourishment's daily double
Humanity has overcome trouble

Plague was seen as part of God's plan
Calamities claiming poor man
Our efforts to cure are redoubled
Humanity has overcome trouble

We have reached our finest hour
With elements all empowered
Troubles grown small yet we grumble
Humanity has overcome trouble

(c) February 15, 2019   Michael Romani
All Rights Reserved