The 99 Poem Challenge
Fox-Trot-9

92. LaJemme — Dream in a Library

Sometimes in reading, I will fall asleep
And catch the creep of footfalls in the air,
Making the hair upon my neck to leap,
Hearing the sweep of voices in my ear.

A subtle chill runs up my spine
In some design of pure ill will;
I cannot seem to ease my heart
Upon this startled dream.

I stand up, looking 'round the room,
Which I assume is just a part
Of some black art of subtle skill,
Perhaps a thrilling start

To something otherworldly, ghostly, weird!
My mind now geared to something magical
Or mystical, I raised my courage, cleared
My thoughts and steered them to things logical.

But in my throes of cognitive upkeep,
Only a deep letdown begins to bear
Its weighty scare upon my dusty heap
Of lore-tomes keeping all my daydreams there.

(To be continued...)

A/N: The LaJemme, created by poets Laura Lamarca and Jem Farmer, is a 5 stanza form that is consistently iambic. In Stanza 1, 10 syllables per line, Rhyme scheme abab, 4th syllable of each line is to rhyme with the end rhyme of the preceding line. In Stanza 2, syllable count: 8/8/8/6, Rhyme scheme cdef, with cross rhymes in each couplet on 4th syllable. In Stanza 3, syllable count 8/8/8/6, Rhyme scheme gfdf, 4th syllable of each line follows the same rule as stanza 1. In Stanza 4, 10 syllables per line, Rhyme scheme hihi, 4th syllable of each line is to rhyme with the end rhyme of the preceding line. In Stanza 5, 10 syllables per line, Rhyme scheme abab, 4th syllable of each line is to rhyme with the end rhyme of the preceding line.

Meter: Iambic (10-10-10-10 8-8-8-6 8-8-8-6 10-10-10-10 10-10-10-10)
Rhyme:

Line 1: a
Line 2: a(4)b
Line 3: b(4)a
Line 4: a(4)b

Line 1: d(4)c
Line 2: c(4)d
Line 3: f(4)e
Line 4: e(4)f

Line 1: g
Line 2: g(4)f
Line 3: f(4)d
Line 4: d(4)f

Line 1: h
Line 2: h(4)i
Line 3: i(4)h
Line 4: h(4)i

Line 1: a
Line 2: a(4)b
Line 3: b(4)a
Line 4: a(4)b