The love of Christ I see

| Ballade - long |

The sun is bright, the skies give room to play.
The earth is fresh, the flowers do appear
to make it fresh, the all compassing air.
The expectation flowers do obey.
Enjoying it, I wish for it to stay.
I hear the laughter of the children free
to be not only in a certain way,
and I see God. The love of Christ I see.

And I recall the rain the other day,
the love by which the sky expresses care.
To long for it the earth should surely dare.
Be desperate for it the being may.
If God is holding back, that is to say.
For it the children pray expectantly.
God cannot take the teeming rain away.
And I see God. The love of Christ I see.

But sentiments, please lead me not astray!
The day is lovely, do not make me fear!
For sure The Lord both light and rain will bear.
My faith and hope The Lord will not betray.
I will my love and gratitude convey
to Christ, The Son, the lights of fashions three,
today for making me so lovely gay!
And I see God. The love of Christ I see.

Now, Prince. And Princess. Letting love delay
would make the living God an absentee.
My day be beautiful and never grey!
And I see God. The love of Christ I see.


| They say | a long ballade is said to have three octaves and a quatrain envoy. The line may be of any length but the length must be the same in all lines. The last line of the verses is a refrain line, repeated throughout the poem. The rhyme scheme is
| ababbcbC ababbcbC ababbcbC bcbC |
where C is the rhyme of the refrain line. So in the twentyeighth lines there are only three rhymes.

In the ballade above the lines are iambic pentameters. And the rhyme scheme is a bit different from the norm. The rhyme scheme is
| abbaacaC abbaacaC abbaacaC acaC |.
Still there are only three rhyme endings in the poem. It is, by the way, in English, very difficult to find the number of rhyming words required by the form. I believe one can advantageously play with the rhyme in this poem.