Cyhydedd naw ban
(cuh-hee-dedd naw ban):

A line of nine syllables. It must rhyme with at least one other line of equal length to form a couplet.

This rhyme can continue throughout the stanza or another couplet using another rhyme can be used provided that all lines are nine syllables long.

x x x x x x x x a
x x x x x x x x a
x x x x x x x x a

etc..or as an alternative

x x x x x x x x a
x x x x x x x x a
x x x x x x x x b
x x x x x x x x b

etc

Drought

The paddocks are bare, covered by dust
The tools are idle and spotted with rust.
Where once lush forests covered this land
Rich dark soil has now turned to sand.
Too many winds, too long without rain
Blown to town and washed down the drain.
What we have sown it's now time to pay
The time is now the bills due today.

Ryter Roethicle

Cyhydedd naw ban
Contents

Deborah Bel

Griffon Creek
In the Valley of the Moon
Progress
Gloria Carpenter

Imagination Rules!
Moments of change
Ryter Roethicle

Futility
Reality Bites
Lorainne Stark

Strawberry Kisses

Deborah Bel

Griffon Creek

Let me sit on this bridge and listen
As quiet meditations deepen.
Sunlight riding the water glistens.
Let me sit on this bridge and hear
Mother duck chiding her brood in fear
At our sudden entry, full of cheer.
Let me cherish this time in a place
Where I need not even try to race
Away from anything in this space.
Here I have known such enduring peace
That though creeks may end, this would not cease.

 -----

In the Valley of the Moon

This cup between hills, in reverence
So named, for he who in quiescence
Sharing her night, doth share her essence.

For with her night comes all the knowing
Of time, in space, the water's flowing
In the mist, her first, lightly glowing.

A rush, quick forth, and then a rally,
So light your fall into this valley.
And she looked on, her shining crescent
Blessing you with such a bright descent.

 -----

Progress

There, the rain still falls onto rafters
Into the hands of developers.
While she still desires the "world-class city"
Wood has more than just the use of trees.
Old forests give way to the new homes
Pastures with no more cattle to roam
While the rain still falls -- and rivers boil
Mixed with the blood of the iron rich soil.
The people lament their traffic jams
On their highways, at Wal-Mart's and Sam's,
For the good of the city they say
To fistfuls of land given away.
City maps now dotted with their pins
While the smog is creeping -- rolling in.

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Gloria Carpenter

Imagination Rules!

Young hero enter. What are dreams for?
To wither outside the classroom door?
Bring them in and see your sword, a pen,
Brandish strokes, relive them once again.
Write those tales and share your wildest night,
Soar on widespread wingspans, dragon flight.
Fill the room with visions of your mind,
Tell us what you see, don’t leave behind
Those childhood fantasies, take us through...
No one has the right to stifle you.

Those dim-lit eyes? Truly signs of fools.
Enter, knight ~ imagination rules!

 -----

Moments of change

Sometimes it seems there is nothing new,
That life presents routine, boredom’s view,
Yet, in reality ~ so untrue.
I have seen each moment rearrange
Those wispy clouds in layers of change ~
No pattern followed, no habit set
No static stage frozen in regret ~
Nature shows the way, if we allow,
Opened eyes will see the here and now.

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Ryter Roethicle

Futility

My insomniac dreams are hollow
like the unhappy winds that follow,
and the day is spent in a morass,
of muddy minded students that pass
not on merit, but on exercise
and reluctant drills on hardly wise.

Where is that glimmer and lively spark
that takes a student out of the dark
placing engineering gal or gent
Into the ranks of intelligent.

 -----

Reality Bites

Nine year old soldier with wooden sword
cuts his breath, pretence of silent horde.
Backwards balanced steps, lead to the door
whence he returns to schoolboy once more.
Outside he dreams in mountains of snow
and he becomes a helm’d Viking hero.

But dreams with school bell are soon dashed
myths and lore and dragons are squashed,
and maths, and English now take their place.
Our young hero must show a different face.

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Lorainne Stark

Strawberry Kisses

Each held a strawberry in their hand
As if it were a pearl from a strand
Slowly he offered his to her lips
She smiled and tenderly took a nip
He could not resist any longer
His feelings for her had grown stonger
Embracing the moment by moonlight
He kissed her sweet red lips with delight

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