Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies it bears much fruit.
John 12, 24
The Seed
Such joy we find, in spring, to plant a seed,
to tuck it deep within expectant earth
to wait, in hope, for summers verdant growth,
the offspring of apparent winter death,
a promise that we, too, shall know rebirth
when we, at last, have spent this fragile life.
You ask me why we long for lasting life?
Perhaps you’ve never sown a lowly seed
then seen that nature nurtures its rebirth
unnoticed, ‘neath the skin of Mother Earth.
So small this grain—defying endless death
while flaunting its capacity for growth.
Each seed, endowed with all required for growth
still needs attention to sustain its life,
thus lending meaning to apparent death.
They languish for both sun and rain, these seeds,
and nutrients—the gift of fertile earth,
then time is all that’s wanting for rebirth.
Does not your soul expect its own rebirth?
Does grace not foster spirit’s gentle growth?
And it is not our goal while here one earth
to search for meaning in these days of life?
Tend carefully the soil that bears the seed
and have no fear of your impending death.
The seed, itself, surrenders to its death
so that a flower or tree may know rebirth.
Such beauty shall be born of humble seed
embarking on a journey of new growth.
Thus is the cycle known to every life
that’s clothed in form while dwelling here on earth.
Too short the days we wander here on earth,
too soon we face inevitable death,
so each and every moment of this life
give cause to ponder our sublime rebirth,
to free ourselves for such abundant growth
that we fulfill the mission of the seed.
While here on earth prepare for this rebirth,
for it’s through death we shall achieve new growth.
In losing life you flourish, tiny seed.
Thanks to Shanyn who offer the prompt today for dVerse Poetics: the seed, potential, what can be! Stop by, read, and offer a poem of your own. The pub opens at 12:00 Noon EDT!
The Sestina:
A sestina is, for me, a fun, but challenging form to play with. It is a double tritina, using six, rather than three line-ending words. The secret is to choose words along a thematic line, then see where they take you. Should you want to give the form a whirl, this is the pattern: ABCDEF; FAEBDC; CFDABE; ECBFAD; DEACFB; BDFECA. A tercet concludes the rhyme scheme: ECA for ends of lines, BDF in the middle—thus, BE, DC, FA. Just for fun, try writing it using a meter, such as iambic pentameter.
Beautifully written sestina, Victoria. The subject matter works very well with the form.
Pamela
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a seed’s death… never thought of it that way
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An interesting meditation on life, death, rebirth, and the desire for longer life.
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Lovely poem–its cadence rather sobering though message joyful. I love sestina so but they are so long! Not that yours feels that way– I mean when trying to write! Thanks and thanks too for lovely birthday message. K.
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Wonderful job on the form, it’s so challenging and such a truthful message in your words. Beautifully written Victoria. 🙂
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Well..the seed tells a simple tale of life..but the sestina..is most definitely challenging perhaps a place i’ll never seed…and your words here..speak much truth..in rebirth of human being..being..living..now..to fullest can THE now….but never free..always work..of simple survival…:)
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Skilfully done, leading to an entrancing poem. My courage for complex form seems to have deserted me, so I really enjoyed yours.
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Ah! a lovely hopeful poem, just what we all need!!
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Wow….enjoyed reading…the form is wonderful!
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Beautiful. 🙂
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First of all… sestina.. one of the form I really love.. it took me a while to realize you had created one… which is high mark I think… and such good meter… the subject which is a gentle reasoning around the seed as a metaphor so well chosen.. Really well done.. and yes I feel the urge to once more do a sestina…
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This is amazing!
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Your message here brings positive light and takes us to a journey of creativity and beauty. 🙂 Thank you for writing this. 🙂
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Oh yes, this is a lesson I learn again and again, in both life and garden. There is always death, there is always rebirth. It’s all a circle. You did a wonderful job with the form as well, just lovely.
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Very well written. I also used a biblical quote in my poem, but it’s interesting how you and I went in completely different directions.
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How cleverly done! I haven’t tried a sestina yet, although I have tackled a villanelle or two. There’s something hypnotic about these two forms and I think your subject matter suited it very well, since there is also something hypnotic about growth, life and rebirth, whether in nature, or our quest for eternal life for ourselves.
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I love the idea of seeds giving rebirth and renewing once more ~ Such a lovely message in a very challenging form ~ Sestina is one form I still have to write to successfully ~
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This is utterly beautiful my friend. Well done!
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I love this poem, and the verse you started with, and your use of the sestina. It is humbling and encouraging to think of this body we now inhabit as a mere seed of what we one day will be. Peace, Linda
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This is positively beautiful, Victoria. I think you have summed up my philosophy too in this stanza:
“Does not your soul expect its own rebirth?
Does grace not foster spirit’s gentle growth?
And it is not our goal while here one earth
to search for meaning in these days of life?
Tend carefully the soil that bears the seed
and have no fear of your impending death.”
I am really at a loss for what to say without my words sounding trite. Truly, this is a masterpiece!
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This is a beautiful and profound poem, Victoria! I like how you have brought the biblical quote to our own individual level. “While here on earth prepare for this rebirth” – my favorite lines in your poem. What we do here and now are just seeds planted for the afterlife, but not before we die too.
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Victoria, beautifully penned, wonderful sestina.
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Quiet, elegant, dignified – a sestina with poise and grace.
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Heavy duty, honied with eternal truths, for soul is energy, & energy never dies, it simply transfers to another form. I could never respond to bald face hosannas, but the gentle Zen metaphysical philosophies have always intrigued & resonated with my old soul; great form, & message.
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smiles…we are preparing the seed for death here on earth in preparation for the rebirth everlasting…tending the soil…me thinks your time in the garden this weekend was quite fruitful…smiles.
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when the seed doesn’t fall into the earth and dies… brought this to my mind… life is fragile… just experiencing it first hand and if there is no hope beyond it, how tough must that be… great sestina victoria
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