i.
raindrops slip off sumac’s leaves
symmetrical and dyed blood red;
drip on faded pink blooms lying in
soggy clumps on mossy ground.
ii.
torchlight flickers off fortress wall
horse hooves clop on cobblestone;
chain mail and long swords rattle
as crusaders’ templar flag unfurls.
iii.
grandmother repeats phrase
“There’s a bear in the road!”
strong premonition of danger,
growly excuse to stay in room.
iv.
furious thrashing near surface
orcas attack great white shark;
merciless predators prowl sea
dolphin cousins dress for dinner
v.
things are not always as they
may appear, mysteries abound
i want to appreciate wild beauty
here; to live boldly before i die.
Bjorn Rudberg at dVerse poets’ pub invites us to write a cadralor form poem of 5 unrelated imagist stanzas (of equal lines) with 5th stanza pulling a thread to tie them all together.
a poem in my pocket 
Oct 14, 2021 @ 05:50:01
Wonderful cadralor! That final stanza really pulls it all together perfectly. And I love the grandmother and the bear. 😀 It reminds me of my grandmother, who used to say “sh*t faster, the bear’s coming”.
Oct 16, 2021 @ 16:16:05
Ha, ha! Glad you liked it, Kate 🙂
Oct 10, 2021 @ 19:00:40
You had me at the first stanza! Beautiful writing and imagery, Lynn.
Oct 11, 2021 @ 05:44:56
Thanks, Sara…glad you liked it 🙂
Oct 10, 2021 @ 10:56:35
Oh, the wild beauty. Your verse captures it so well.
Oct 10, 2021 @ 14:09:25
Thanks, Karen!
Oct 10, 2021 @ 09:23:27
I love the end… we do have to live by making the most of it… beauty and risk walk hand in hand.
Oct 09, 2021 @ 16:01:29
Well done! I think you did the form perfectly–such different images, but tied together at the end with a lovely stanza.
Oct 09, 2021 @ 16:04:01
I appreciate your kind comment, Merril 🙂
Oct 09, 2021 @ 16:22:10
You’re very welcome!
Oct 09, 2021 @ 09:24:57
Danger all around, and yet we can’t just hide from it. Living boldly is a way to conquer our fears. (K)
Oct 09, 2021 @ 09:33:06
Yes! Thanks, K.
Oct 09, 2021 @ 06:58:14
May we continue to live boldly and face all that comes head on. Beautiful, beautiful write 💝💝
Oct 09, 2021 @ 09:31:55
Thank you much for your comments, Sanaa!
Oct 09, 2021 @ 04:37:42
your final verse perfectly wraps the others together – I especially like the cautious grandmother verse versus those wishes in the finale
Oct 09, 2021 @ 05:58:33
Thanks for noticing that contrast, Laura.
Oct 08, 2021 @ 21:00:30
Yes! To live boldly indeed, I love the experiences you raise and which resonate.
Oct 09, 2021 @ 06:12:01
Thank you, Paul, for your comment!
Oct 09, 2021 @ 08:37:59
Very welcome Lynn
Oct 08, 2021 @ 19:46:56
There is adventure in each stanza, love the reminder to live boldly at the end! 😍
Oct 09, 2021 @ 06:00:19
Thanks, Tricia!
Oct 08, 2021 @ 15:55:39
Amen to that closing stanza!
Oct 08, 2021 @ 17:42:04
Glad you agree! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Oct 08, 2021 @ 12:27:09
I wondered how you were going to bring these together. Nice job!
Oct 08, 2021 @ 13:16:33
The stanzas are kind of random, aren’t they? Thanks for your comment, Lisa 🙂
Oct 08, 2021 @ 14:01:18
You’re welcome 🙂
Oct 08, 2021 @ 12:12:56
Lynn, your poem will no doubt be one of my favorites! Well done.
Oct 08, 2021 @ 13:17:21
I’m so glad you like it, Helen…thank you for reading!
Oct 08, 2021 @ 05:06:21
Great work on the form! Your stanzas really contrast well, and are brought together by the yearning to make the most of life at the end 🙂
Oct 08, 2021 @ 05:44:32
I really appreciate your thoughtful comment, Ingrid…thanks for reading!