Take the bending trail,
Follow without fail
Uphill.
Efforts that prevail,
Often will avail,
To thrill
In every detail,
And never curtail
Your will.
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Author Notes
Never give up. Find that winding trail uphill. I thought this photograph, which is the true Muse for this poem, conveyed a trail that winds.
This poem is a Lai.
A Lai is a lyrical, narrative poem. Lais were mainly composed in France and Germany, during the 13th and 14th centuries. The English term "Lay" is a 13th-century loan from Old French "Lai". The origin of the French term itself is unclear; perhaps it is itself a loan from German Leich. It is the building block for the later Virelai. This form looks to be a very simple form comprising of a five syllabled couplet followed by a two syllable line (5-5-2) for nine lines. The Lai is a very old French form and tradition states that the short line must not be indented, it must be left dressed to the poem. This is known as Arbre Fourchu (Forked Tree), a pattern meant to be set up as a tree.
The number of lines is fixed at nine. The rhyme pattern is...
a. a. b. a. a. b. a. a. b.
A single stanza Lai is also known as a Bergette, while multiple stanzas are known as Virelai.
This photo was taken by author himself on October 13, 2015.
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