Ballad of the Otter War
This poem follows the ballad poetic structure, written entirely in iambic pentameter. Some of the rhymes feel forced, but the structure calls for fourteen of the same rhyme, so I had to use a simple word to maximize my options. Nonetheless, I'm glad I made something of a complete narrative here. As before, stressed syllables are in bold for out-loud reading. Critique is appreciated!
A fail ure note d by the first to pen
The rite of pass age known to us as war
The best of batt les make no boys to men
A card we play to face a way from shore
And drown the dogs be fore they can ex plore
There could have been a rea son for the sight
Per haps a si lent curse , for gott en score
We sett le calls of weak ness through the fight
A year went past since the first strike back then
And hope for vic tor y will al ways soar
The ott ers bleed a dog and we take ten
A wa ter wea sel made to feed the corps
We left the pelt to scare them off some more
And now I can not fight the smell of blight
The al pha fell up on his knees and swore
We sett le calls of weak ness through the fight
A cen tur y has gone , we fight a gain
The past re pressed and an y rea son tore
The dogs and ott ers bleed from den to den
My son , he shrieks from night mares of the gore
A rain or two could wash the sin ** be **fore
Now ev ery light's a sha dow of our spite
But we can ne ver lose the ott er war
We sett le calls of weak ness through the fight
To night the reap er's come to my back door
My son will leave to carr y on the plight
Of spe cies kept from the en light'ning store
He'll sett le calls of weak ness through the fight