Why We Tell Stories Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDEF GHIJK LMNOP Q RSTU VWXYZA2B2C2D2E2 F2F2 G2OO H2I2 KTUJ2 OK2OP| For Linda Foster | A |
| - | |
| - | |
| I | - |
| Because we used to have leaves | B |
| and on damp days | C |
| our muscles feel a tug | D |
| painful now from when roots | E |
| pulled us into the ground | F |
| - | |
| and because our children believe | G |
| they can fly an instinct retained | H |
| from when the bones in our arms | I |
| were shaped like zithers and broke | J |
| neatly under their feathers | K |
| - | |
| and because before we had lungs | L |
| we knew how far it was to the bottom | M |
| as we floated open eyed | N |
| like painted scarves through the scenery | O |
| of dreams and because we awakened | P |
| - | |
| and learned to speak | Q |
| - | |
| - | |
| We sat by the fire in our caves | R |
| and because we were poor we made up a tale | S |
| about a treasure mountain | T |
| that would open only for us | U |
| - | |
| and because we were always defeated | V |
| we invented impossible riddles | W |
| only we could solve | X |
| monsters only we could kill | Y |
| women who could love no one else | Z |
| and because we had survived | A2 |
| sisters and brothers daughters and sons | B2 |
| we discovered bones that rose | C2 |
| from the dark earth and sang | D2 |
| as white birds in the trees | E2 |
| - | |
| - | |
| Because the story of our life | F2 |
| becomes our life | F2 |
| - | |
| Because each of us tells | G2 |
| the same story | O |
| but tells it differently | O |
| - | |
| and none of us tells it | H2 |
| the same way twice | I2 |
| - | |
| Because grandmothers looking like spiders | K |
| want to enchant the children | T |
| and grandfathers need to convince us | U |
| what happened happened because of them | J2 |
| - | |
| and though we listen only | O |
| haphazardly with one ear | K2 |
| we will begin our story | O |
| with the word and | P |
Lisel Mueller
(1)
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About Why We Tell Stories
Why We Tell Stories is a poem by Lisel Mueller. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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