A Sestina

I wrote this when I was 16. Find out how to write a sestina here and read another one here.

Child of Woe

by Grace

A Tuesday's child followed a mountain

up a strong hill and down the next butterfly.

Her Wednesday sister hears the birds

and her tears begin to fall to the stars.

She is remembering the dear Sunday's flower

that melted last week during Thursday's rain.

Monday's butterfly died in the rain

and the Wednesday sister cries up the mountain.

The Tuesday's child has grown a flower,

and Sunday's angel sees a butterfly.

Can Friday's daughter lift them to the stars

 so the poor Wednesday sister hears the birds?

The stars can't hear Tuesday's birds,

So on Wednesday there will come soft rains.

Friday's daughter wants to love the stars,

but can't forgive them for burning her mountain.

So Tuesday's uncle comforts the wee butterfly

and from her tears of healing grows a flower.

But the daughter doesn't believe that the uncle's flower

will stay with her forever.  So while the caged bird sings,

The robin outside will love the butterfly.

And even though Tuesday's child never saw the rain,

Softly will tomorrow come to climb her mountain.

Then, freely, we see Orion's belt among the stars.

Yet Wednesday's sister will not see the stars.

And tho' her father brings her many flowers,

all the love in the world cannot move the mountain

of her sorrow, and she no longer hears the birds.

Gently on the roof, the drumming of the rain

lulls us to sleep while we dream of butterflies.

But while we dream, the butterfly

is lightly borne on the wind to the stars.

Even little Wednesday is quiet in the rain

so that Sunday's angel may, too, grow a flower

and see the sun rise while hearing the birds

sing, for it is, after all, Tuesday's mountain.

So up the mountain the butterfly twirls,

while the birds sing out to the stars

and Wednesday's flower blooms in the soft rains.