Sestina for Onions

To the kitchen I go

to fix dinner and think,

maybe the six words, in a blink

would come to me in a flow.

Six words to write

without much of a fight!

I realized then it was hard, I had to face the fight -

inside my mind, not too many places to go.

I thought, thought... and I couldn't write

as I chopped the onions, I couldn't even think!

Onions brought tears that started to flow

and my eyes hurt at every blink.

Could I ever write a Sestina, in a blink?

I was wondering how long I should fight

with the onions, more tears to flow

and my words, so much yet to go!

Imagination ran wild, so many things to think!

I can't decide what can I write!

About onions? Tears? Talent to write?

I had then my eyes closed, after a long blink

because this way was easier to think.

I decided to write about a fight

between a knife and onions that don't want to go

to the pan and follow the cooking flow.

It should be grand for onions to follow the flow

and be one with those who they feed, and write

about their power to bring tears, as they go

from whole to chopped, in a blink.

In fact, it should be no fight,

that's what I think!

But onions are special, they make me cry and think

life is also like onions, if you go with the flow.

You don't need to fight

just be cool, feel it and write

and when you blink

you'll see, it's time to go!

Just go, without too much to think

Appreciate life in each blink, along with the flow

And write whatever you feel, there is no need to fight!

Technical Info about Sestinas:

Sestina is a form of poetry. The poem must contain six stanzas with 6 lines each, plus one last stanza with 3 lines.

For the first six stanzas, the last word of each line must be used as the last word in the next stanza, in a different order. The last stanza must contains in each line a word of each 2 lines from the former stanza.

Here is how the order of the last words must be: (compare to the poem above)

Stanza 1
Line 1-go (A)
Line 2-think (B)
Line 3-blink (C)
Line 4-flow (D)
Line 5-write (E)
Line 6-fight (F)

Stanza 2
Line 7-fight (F)
Line 8-go (A)
Line 9-write (E)
Line 10-think (B)
Line 11-flow (D)
Line 12-blink (C)

Stanza 3
Line 13-blink (C)
Line 14-fight (F)
Line 15-flow (D)
Line 16-go (A)
Line 17-think (B)
Line 18-write (E)

Stanza 4
Line 19-write (E)
Line 20-blink (C)
Line 21-think (B)
Line 22-fight (F)
Line 23-go (A)
Line 24-flow (D)

Stanza 5
Line 25-flow (D)
Line 26-write (E)
Line 27-go (A)
Line 28-blink (C)
Line 29-fight (F)
Line 30-think (B)

Stanza 6
Line 31-think (B)
Line 32-flow (D)
Line 33-fight (F)
Line 34-write (E)
Line 35-blink (C)
Line 36-go (A)

Stanza 7
Line 37-go (A), think (B)
Line 38-blink (C), flow (D)
Line 39-write (E), fight (F)

Here's a little more on Sestinas from around the Web:

* Wikipedia entry

* The Sestina Verse Form, by Ariadne Unst

* McSweeney's Internet Tendency sestinas page featuring several examples by many, many writers (including Professor Cummins)