Grandpa's Hat [La`Tuin]

With tears in her blue eyes, she sat still,
On her Grandpa's lap, while thinking:
"Why do stars shine so bright in the sky?"
Laughing, he explained to her that:

"The stars have always, and always will,
Shine brightly in the sky, twinkling,
Through God's bright loving and watching eyes"
Smiling, he lifted up his old hat.

She turned and pointed to the sky with thrill -
And asked: Why then, is God blinking?"
That old man, looked to the sky and sighed:
"You see how the stars lay out, flat?

They used to stand out strong, up until,
The Angel's cried - they started shrinking."
"Grandpa, stars don't shrink, that is a lie!"
She shouted out as she turned and sat -

"Why then, do they sit in the sky still,
After thousands of years, twinkling,
Do they too, not need a rest?" He pried,
Smiling, she lifted up his old hat.

"That would be like asking Grandma Phil,
Why after all these years, drinking -
You sit here with me and softly sigh,
Still wearing the army hat that -

You wore so long ago now!" She shrilled,
With tears in his eyes, heart sinking,
He looked toward her and asked her why:
Stars mean more to her than his hat.

With a tear in her eye, she sat still,
On her Grandpa's lap, while thinking:
Why the stars that shine bright in the sky,
Mean more to her than his old hat.

-Jenna Elphick
May 6, 2007

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La`Tuin consists of 4-line stanzas with an 'abca, abca' rhyme scheme that is consistent throughout each stanza. Stanzas 2, 3 etc. must all follow the same rhyme sounds as the first stanza. With the first stanza being repeated again at the end of the piece. It contains a minimum of 4 stanzas, with no maximum length limit. A strict syllable count of 9/8/9/8 is required per stanza.

In-Depth Explanation of rhyme:

Lines 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16 etc., all rhyme - this is the A rhyme.
Lines 2, 6, 10, 14 etc, all rhyme - this is the B rhyme.
Lines 3, 7, 11, 15 etc, all rhyme - this is the C rhyme.

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