Saving Christmas (sestina) (HM)

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Saving Christmas
(sestina)

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It was a late night and the moon shone bright,
Stretching shadows across the snow.
Leaves spun, whilst some did run,
Creating a magical mystical sight.
Then a sound like a bus crashed this Christmas,
Causing an exit of toes from a bed...

And along the hall to their parent's bed,
They grabbed fists of mum's nightie, all eyes bright.
"Mummy, daddy, is it alright; is it Christmas,
'because leaves have landed on the snow?
"Come quickly", they pulled, "look at the sight,
"Come quicker" they urged, "mum and dad, run!"

Outside, hand in hand the family did run
Into the small garden, near the flower bed.
They all stood and looked at the sight;
A scattering of leaves on a rug so bright.
"Why are they there?" they chorused in the snow.
"Surely the leaves should be gone by Christmas?"

Dad looked miffed, for he knew this feeling, Christmas,
But, being torn from his bed caused his temper to run.
"I don't really care, this just isn't fun, there's snow
And there's..., I don't care, he peeved, back to your bed!
Mum took the children's hands, her face all bright.
They looked up at her... past her, up at a curious sight.

Little fingers pointed up at a red and white sight
In a tree, a bed had presented, like Christmas
In the branches, a Santa, not looking too bright.
His sleigh just hovered, and dad said, "children, run"
We best rescue Santa from up in his tree-bed.
So, off to the garage through the deep snow...

They raced back through the tumbling snow
With a ladder to a sorry red and white sight.
Dad climbed up to check Santa in his bed,
Mum followed with some food for Christmas.
The kindness made Santa well, so he did run,
Saying, as he flew, "May your Christmas be bright!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Together through the snow, they saved Santa this Christmas
His fall from the sleigh, a sight, but a family's love did run,
Rescuing a man from a tree-bed and making Christmas bright.

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michael
2016

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Sestina:

The sestina is a strict ordered form of poetry, dating back to twelfth century French troubadours. It consists of six six-line (sestets) stanzas followed by a three-line envoy. Rather than use a rhyme scheme, the six ending words of the first stanza are repeated as the ending words of the other five stanzas in a set pattern. The envoy uses two of the ending words per line, again in a set pattern.

First stanza, ..1 ..2 ..3 ..4 ..5 ..6
Second stanza, ..6 ..1 ..5 .. 2 ..4 ..3
Third stanza, ..3 ..6 ..4 ..1 ..2 ..5
Fourth stanza, ..5 ..3 ..2 ..6 ..1 ..4
Fifth stanza, ..4 ..5 ..1 ..3 ..6 ..2
Sixth stanza, ..2 ..4 ..6 ..5 ..3 ..1

Concluding tercet:
middle of first line ..2, end of first line ..5
middle of second line ..4, end of second line..3
middle if third line ..6, end of third line ..1