When there's a mighty mastiff on the scene,
A guard who is as stoic as the Sphinx,
It limits any possible hijinks
(Regardless of his catching twenty winks),
Even though this dog looks so serene.
His radar still remains on high alert.
For if you cause his owners any hurt,
You'll find that bulldog's speed can really spurt.
Did you think that he was just a figurine?
Don't looks convey the image that he's mean?
This dog can be as friendly as a pup.
He'll wag his tail and lick your hand.
Scratch his ears, he'll be your friend.
He's all muscle and a gentle heart.
When there's a mighty mastiff on the scene,
Intruders must beware.
There's power sitting there,
Content to be sitting on the grass.
He'll stay there as the hours pass.
Defensive actions quickly might convene,
Even though this dog looks so serene.
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Author Notes
Meet CASH. He's my brother Richard's Bulldog. He's a member of the family who is quite a character. Cash is gentle and playful, unless you threaten the family, or are another dog. Then he can explode in a fury of amazing speed. He has a big bark. I wouldn't challenge his bite.
This poem is a Fusion Sonnet.
Ok, I found another intriguing format.
It was invented by the Greek poet, Yannis Livadas (born in 1969), and popularized by Sonnet Modal. I was drawn to this one by the tripple rhymes imbedded in it.
This falls under the auspicies of the Modern Sonnet genre. As such, it breaks several Sonnet rules. Most notibly, it has 21 lines rather than the the typical 14. The fusion comes from blending in 4 lines of free verse at lines 11 through 14. It has a strict structure and rhyme scheme, but is more flexible in the area of meter. Here are the complex rules:
14 line Poem followed by a half sonnet of 7 lines acting as a coda or tail to add additional stability to the poem. No particular meter is followed fusing it with the modern free verse style.
First Fourteen Lines:
Same Rhyme in 1st,5th,9th & 10th Lines.
Same Rhyme in 2nd,3rd & 4th Lines.
Same Rhyme in 6th,7th & 8th lines.
Rhetorical questions in 9th & 10th lines.
Negative and pessimistic note in the first 10 lines.
Free verse carrying Optimistic Tone in 11th, 12th,13 & 14th Lines.
Volta gradually through 9th, 10th and 11th lines.
Next Seven Lines:-The Half Sonnet acting as a coda.
Same Rhyme in 16th and 17th lines.
Same Rhyme in 18th and 19th lines.
Volta in the 20th line.
For this poem the rhymes scheme, as laid out above is:
A1, b,b,b, A2, c,c,c, (4 lines free verse)----A1, d,d,e,e,A2, where the capital letters indicate repeated lines.
This picture was taken by the author himself om July 11, 2015.
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