So much for my ambitious schedule of writing one story a week! That was the original plan with 'Let Me Count the Ways' but, as you know, life is always getting in the way. The new plan is to write whenever I'm inspired or just feel like tinkering about without words.

This story turned out vastly different than my first inklings of what it would be. My current literary romance is with poetry so the following is my attempt at getting inside Shunsui's head. ) Because I have a lot of trouble deciphering the dense but invisible webs of meaning that come attached to every poem, I've included cliff notes after the piece that may be of help in unwrapping my gift.

Theme 4 is 'step away'. Ideas, anyone?

Musings of the Heart

Theme 3: Skin

For a lover as well studied as I,
Who has long laboured in study of that art,
I declare that love is a tender text
Written by the musings of the heart.

I have read thoroughly the many forms
And hold each in my highest esteem,
For love is always a beautiful thing
In this afterlife which is, but a dream.

Though I love all love with equal fervour,
Should you implore me to confess,
I shall tell you that there is one poem
That upon my heart is impressed.

How cold is your skin
Of fresh-fallen snow so white.
But you let me in

Deep, to my delight.
And I discovered your fire
That burns oh so bright.

It knows not to tire
And calls me home without fail.
That warmth, I admire

But its colour pales
To the ocean of your eyes.
Your look does not fail

To always surprise
As it holds me full measure
Whatever my guise.

Form of the Poem

I'm not master of poetry (I'd hand the mike over to my city's poet laureate if he would do a cameo, but he's not available). However, I think that the form of a poem can convey meaning and create effect as much as the words inside the poem.

The first three verses are written in iambic pentameter. Sounds familiar? Yup, ol' Bill Shakespeare was really good at it, hear tell. An iamb is a metrical foot used in poetry. It usually refers to a two-syllable foot in which the stress is placed on the second syllable. Pentameter is a line that consists of five iambs stringed together. The effect that I think iambic pentameter creates is that it has a gently rolling rhythm that lends itself to love poetry. ) In my mind, it's also attached to the hip with English and Italian verse; associations that seem fairly appropriate for Shunsui's deep, romantic voice.

The final five verses are written in haiku. The traditional Japanese poem, in its simplest incarnation, consists of three lines. The first and third have five syllables and the second contains seven. I don't know much about the form besides the syllable counting so I don't do it justice (I'm pretty sure I'm bastardising it). However, I did take some liberties with it and introduced an interesting rhyming scheme. The complex flow is a bit hard to follow, I admit, but it creates a very cool effect of resonance between the verses. I chose the haiku to frame Shunsui's impressions of Nanao because both the poetic form and the woman are complex and deep in a simple and elegant way.

Last notes on form is that there are eight verses, which – in true geekhood – allude to Shunsui's and Nanao's kinship with the Eighth Division. The only effect this creates is to serve as a background reminder of Shunsui's and Nanao's relationship as Taichou and Fukutaichou… and how it's really just a momentary thing that we skip over as we eagerly dive deeper into the relationship. )

Meaning of the Poem

Here's the real heart of the matter. What does this poem mean? It should be fairly obvious who is writing about whom but what is the poem trying to say? I'll leave that up to you to puzzle out and share with me via reviews. ;)