A Deceit of Lapwings

Singing softly as they zig-zag
simple songs to a two-note tune,
silhouetted lapwing deceit
syncopated in trickery.

Peewits flash and turn, black and white,
peeling from sky, they start to dive,
peacocking with aerobatics,
peaking with their springtime antics.

Kim M. Russell, 6th October 2022

Free image found on iStock

This Thursday, Grace is our host for the dVerse Poets Pub Meeting the Bar/Form, with a prompt all about head rhyme (beginning or initial rhyme) and how to use it in the Traditional Mongolian Meter. On first encounter, it looks tricky, but Grace’s instructions are easy to follow. Traditional Mongolian Meter is written in any number of quatrains, is syllabic (usually 7 to 8 syllables) and head rhymed.

If you’re stumped by the term ‘head rhyme’, technically it’s just matching the first consonant of each line. However, while alliterative, with the matched consonant heading the line, it is often seen as the first syllable in each line rhyming with the first syllable of the ensuing lines. Rhyme scheme aaaa bbbb cccc etc., remembering that the rhyme is at the beginning of the line, not the end.

Alliteration can occur within a couplet and need not be contained within a single line. If true or near rhyme is not present, alliteration of the first word of each line is a must.

Grace has given us an example of a quatrain to help us on our way.

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27 thoughts on “A Deceit of Lapwings”

    1. Yes, they do come from the same family: lapwings have broad, rounded wings while plovers have pointed wings. I’m glad we made you happy, Colleen, and thanks for sharing my poem on Twitter!

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank you so much, Rob. They are beautiful birds, up close you can see that they have a lot of colours in their plumage. But the myths around them are unkind.

      Like

      Reply

  11. I read that peewits are in trouble. Their habitat is disappearing and they don’t like the big sterile fields. I used to love watching them from the bus on the way to school. You’ve reminded me of that black and white flicker of their wings.

    Liked by 1 person

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