Storm child

Day 18: "Take inspiration from dramatic narrative poems such as Alfred Noyes’s “The Highwayman.” The action is dramatic, there’s lots of emotions, and the imagery is striking. We invite you to try your hand at writing something that could be a section or piece of such a poem. "

This is way out of my comfort zone! Dramatic narrative poems have a whole structure of their own. The Highwayman has 15 syllable lines and a rhyme scheme of aabccb. Well, you gotta love a challenge, and whilst there's no pirates, bank robbers or mermaids, there's plenty of emotion and drama.


The girl she is a hurricane, a force both fierce and wild,
You'd think she was a changeling, not the common human child,
She'll be completely charming for an hour, become enraged the next,
You'd never think it possible,
                                                       to be so sweet and volatile,
You'd scarce believe it credible that she would get so vexed.

She'll lull you into quiet shores, with songs and dance and drawing,
Your pulse will slow, your head might nod, you'd almost feel like snoring,
Then Bam! Tornadoes gather speed, rage dominates the room
You'd never think it possible,
                                                     to be so sweet and volatile,
You'd scarce believe it credible that change could come so soon.

She's really funny and creative, a loving girl at heart,
But sometimes gets these urges to tear the world apart,
I want to tell her it's all fine, soothe her spirit, calm her mind,
You'd never think it possible, 
                                                     to be so sweet and volatile,
You'd scarce believe it credible she's polar opposites combined.


© Copyright 2026. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved


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