Fractured

Stress Matrix Sonnet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unleashing fate upon a land above a ring of fire;

shift tectonic plates subducting molten trench encroaching,

releasing fast, destructive wrath, disaster’s path transpire.

Blaring sirens squeal declaring tidal waves approaching.

 

Unknowing lives are fractured and soon swiftly swept away;

wall of deadly ocean, racing terror, deep-sea rages,

as mother nature’s ruling fury crashes fierce display.

 

Hellish trail of churning, burning, ripping seismic gauges

engulfing all; dark water’s pulverizing power-play.

Toxic rods left spewing ions; fueling war still wages.

 

Restore Japan from grave despair, the world to question why.

Hope rebuilds on shaky ground a melted core; heat drastic -

awaiting spring where blossoms bring irradiated sky.

Stop potential darkness used to trip our lights fantastic.

Author's Note

The form"

This is the Sonnet version of Stress Matrix Dectet/Stress Checkerboard Stanza –

developed by Luke Prater

14 lines, 14 syllables per line – aBaB cDc DcD eF eF
where lowercase are iambic heptameter (7 beats/stresses per line), and uppercase trochaic heptameter. This yields a perfect ‘checkerboard’ of stressed and unstressed syllables (14 x 14, equalling 196 syllables).

Depending on where the Volta arrives (the ‘turn’ – resolution, or at least, change in tone, crucial aspect to a sonnet), there are 3 different stanza layouts (the rhyme-scheme stays the same).


If the turn comes after the first eight lines, as it does in Italian Sonnets, the layout is



aBa BcDcD cDe FeF.



If it comes after line ten (unique!), then it’s aBaB cDc DcD eFeF (same as English but ending on a quatrain rather than the two couplets). -- the Volta in mine arrives at line eleven.