No Going Back

Into her father’s shed they fled,
sped by the burning passion of youth—
the kiss and warm embrace were not enough.
They improvised a simple bed,
and, panting, came to the time of truth—
the kiss and warm embrace were not enough.

She knew there was no going back;
she had crossed that fateful line of trust,
and her sweet innocence was laid to rest.
Left on the floor of Daddy’s shack,
Mid blended scents of lather and dust,
her once sweet innocence was laid to rest—

and she realized there was no going back.

A Raconteur, written for Tuesday Poetics at d’Verse, for which the theme is SHED.

Incidentally, I thought I’d add that this poem tells a story (an allusion to Björn’s recent Pub Talk), and while I’m sure this story has been played out many times in history, at least in my mind it’s fiction, since I was not thinking of anyone in particular when I wrote the poem. 🙂

If I may ask you a question or two… Do you think there is morality in this poem? How does the couple feel about what they did? guilt? remorse? joy? shame? pride? other? Or is it impossible to tell in the poem? Where is he in the second stanza?

As for the form for today’s poem, I have chosen to write a Raconteur, a 13-line rhyming refrain form invented by Elizabeth Reed. It is comprised of two sestets followed by a monostich, and it may be written as one stanza. Here are the particulars:

• The 2 sestets tell the majority of the story.
• Line 7 should serve as the inspiration for the title.
• The last line will be a restatement or rephrasing of Line 7.
• Syllabic structure: 8-9-10-8-9-10, 8-9-10-8-9-10, (8 or 10)
• Rhyme scheme: abCabC DeFdeF D, where capitals represent refrain lines

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