An Ode To My Fate (Map of Fate)
(My attempt at a Horatian Ode)
©October 8th, 2015
By Vijaya Sundaram
*Could I hold you aloft in the twilight of love
And trace out your routes with attention, to look
For where softly would land all my dreams, like the dove
From the Ark that found trees like it did in the Book,
I would do so, my Fate, my brooding playmate.
I would look for the paths that you’d lay out for me.
I would take a new route, one that does not exist.
I would fight your pale smile, all your lures, and your bait.
I would build my own boat and I’d put out to sea,
And when I arrive, it’s by you I’ll be kissed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was the assignment (which I’ve condensed into the following three sentences):
Write an Ode.
Use metaphors.
Make it about a map of some sort.
Again, this is the FIRST time I’ve written an Ode, and not just that, but a Horatian Ode (about which I’d known nothing, really). I looked it up, and found that the rhyme scheme went thus: ab, ab, cde, cde. I know nothing of the syllable count of Horatian Odes. I chose my own weird 11-12 syllable count, taking care to make sure the meter sort of stayed the same.
Note: In the first stanza, I’m using “could” as in, “If I could do …. then I would.” (I’m using the subjunctive mood.)
I hope you enjoyed this attempt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~