The Poetry Princesses invited others to join in the fun this month and tackle cascade poems. I was immediately drawn by the name of the form and then intrigued by the mix of structure and freedom within it. Robert Lee Brewer succinctly describes it thus: “For the cascade poem, a poet takes each line from the first stanza of a poem and makes those the final lines of each stanza afterward. Beyond that, there are no additional rules for rhyming, meter, etc.” Here’s my cascade poem:
As Fall Turns to Winter
Outside the snow keeps falling
but our fire burns bright
even as the world disappears
We stand by the windows
joined by our pale reflections
Outside the snow keeps falling
We’re quieter these days
tender and bruised, a bit sadder
but our fire burns bright
We watch as our reflections
reach out, hold hands, hold on
even as the world disappears.
©Molly Hogan
This week’s Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by Jan Annino at her blog. She’s sharing poetry and gardening wonders from Sharon Lovejoy.
Nix the comfort zone 
Molly, you have moved me with your heartfelt poem. This stanza especially spoke to me:
“We’re quieter these days
tender and bruised, a bit sadder
but our fire burns bright”
I am sending both of you a big hug. Make sure both of you go outside again this weekend. Let nature ease your pain and bring joy. And when you need to “reach out, hold hands, hold on”. Thank you for your inspiration; I’m going to give this form a try.
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I think you’ll enjoy giving the form a try, Gail!
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This is really beautiful Molly. I was moved by the poignancy of
We’re quieter these days
tender and bruised, a bit sadder
but our fire burns bright
Thank you.
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Thanks, Sally. These feel like poignant times.
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[…] more Cascade poems at these poetry blog sites: Molly, Heidi, Mary Lee, Laura, and […]
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Such a beautiful love poem. “We hold on as the world disappears.” Your poem does what I always desire to do in a poem, flow and land like a butterfly with the wisdom of an eagle.
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What a lovely comment, Margaret! Thank you!
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I love this poem with my whole heart. There is hope in spite of it all, in spite of fall turning to winter (literally and metaphorically). Thank you.
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Thanks so much, Mary Lee.
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Oh, you handled this form so beautifully and the result is so, so atmospheric. Thank you for cascading!
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Thanks so much for sharing this challenge and introducing me to this form. It’s been such fun to read all the cascades and learn so much from each one!
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You made the tercet work for you in ways I couldn’t and it’s just lovely and poignant. Thanks for sharing this.
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Beautiful, Molly. ♥️
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The metaphor of aging is so gentle and delicate and so like snow. Just beautiful.
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This whole aging thing certainly makes one think…
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Beautiful poem. I love the peacefulness of them facing the disappearing world together.
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Together is powerful solace.
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Molly, this poem is flawlessly constructed and captures both the flavor of living during these times for everyone and the deeper grief that some of us might know, all wrapped in the magic of a snowstorm that is not terrifying but a welcome delight, a cozy blanketing of all the worn, bare world. It acknowledges all the ill without giving up hope and commitment. Just a *perfect* poem.
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Wow! Thanks so much for this comment, Heidi. I’m so glad my poem resonated for you and that the layers came through.
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“even as the world disappears” The winter world can be that way. We embrace the hands we have to hold.
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So thankful for those hands!
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It’s a tender poem, Molly, with sadness, yet still “our fire burns bright” offers solace. You greeted the cascade beautifully!
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The emotion in this poem is really powerful. Thank you for sharing. I’m so fascinated by the different ways everyone has approached the cascade.
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I love that how the cascade form centers in on what we hold/what we struggle to let go of. Thank you!
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Molly, there’s such love and power and peace here. Hard-fought, reluctant, maybe, but beautiful peace.
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I just came from Heidi’s, where I was undone by her stories/poem, and now yours did me in too. In the most wonderfully poignant way. The third stanza especially moved me to tears. xo
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Beautiful rhythm and message in your poem Molly, with a bit of a bite, though I could tell it would flow from your first three lines, thanks!
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