Cavern Prayer
Did you not know you’d wander here beneath the earth where all you hear is living liquid falling cold, a prayer the air can barely hold? Can you not see out in the dark that cloisters you, the vital spark of mist? The abysm’s atmospheric mere pours arrant to flow in spate down your dilating throat— baptism within. Each breath floats untrammeled, mingles with its homeland. Deep calls to deep in shalom.
This is written in a Welsh form called byr a thoddaid. Google tells me it means “short and dissolved.” Based on the rules below, I can see how it got that name.
Each stanza consists of two couplets – one with 8 syllables in each line and one with 10 syllables in the first line and 6 syllables in the second line.
These couplets can be placed in any order. I’ve chosen to place the twin 8-syllable lines first.
The 8-syllable lines end-rhyme (A).
The 10-syllable line has a rhyme (B) near the end of the line.
The 6-syllable line has an early link (rhyme or alliteration, etc.) to the end word of the 10-syllable line and ends with the (B) rhyme.
As per usual when dealing with Welsh forms, there is no meter.
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I have never used this form! I enjoyed the poem and the explanation. Thank you!
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