Happy New Year! 2012

It was the Year

Then came the dawn
of changing times
of shifting winds and paradigms
when all but gone
was memory
of how we lived and used to be.

It was the year
that some foretold
on scribbled stone in days of old
“Sit now and fear.
For all your days
will fade in this galactic haze.”

It was the year
that others told
to those in other days of old:
“Sit now in fear
and trembling still.
Work out your faith as is His will.

"For it is not
the task of man
to set or see the sovereign plan
nor then to plot,
according to
the flesh, what he in turn will do.      

 Mayan calendar in stone

"‘Tis all, alas!
what’s meant to be
and though it seems a tragedy,
This, too, shall pass,
and in the end,
bring hope as sun and moon descend.”

Then came the dawn
of changing times
of shifting winds and paradigms
when all but gone
was any fear
of what might happen in that year.
© Copyright 2012 Tom Kapanka
Here are the same words (in prose-like form) with links to some of the reasons for inclusion.
Then came the dawn of changing times of shifting winds and paradigms when all but gone was memory of how we lived and used to be.It was the year that some foretold on scribbled stone in days of old: “Sit now and fear. For all your days will fade in this galactic haze.”It was the year that others told to those in other days of old: “Sit now in fear and trembling still. Work out your faith as is His will. For it is not the task of man to set or see the sovereign plan nor then to plot, according to the flesh, what he in turn will do. ‘Tis all, alas! what’s meant to be, and though it seems a tragedy, This, too, shall pass, and in the end, bring hope as sun and moon descend.” Then came the dawn of changing times of shifting winds and paradigms when all but gone was any fear of what might happen in that year.

In case you didn't know it, the year of our Lord 2012, according to some mystics, is going to change (or end) our lives. Spend some time reading this Wikipedia article and you'll get the general idea. It opens by saying, "... Many contemporary fictional references to the year 2012 refer to December 21 as the day of a cataclysmic event…” That article loses by citing many cultural references to this phenomenon, including this note for tourists:

"In 2011, the Mexico tourism board stated its intentions to use the year 2012, without its apocalyptic connotations, as a means to revive Mexico's tourism industry.... The initiative hopes to draw on the mystical appeal of the Mayan ruins. On December 21, 2011, the Mayan town of Tapachula in Chiapas activated an eight-foot digital clock counting down the days until b'ak'tun 13 [December 22, 2012]."

Mind you, Patterns of Ink does not ascribe to any "Dooms Day" prophecies that set dates. This post is provided to assist readers in conversations that are likely to come up this year.

The lines above were more of an exercise in meter and  rhyme. I have used medial rhyme before "Summer Road." And I have used alternating eight-count and four-count lines in "My Father's Hands." But I have never forced myself to lock into the 4-8 count, medial rhyme while including a pattern of first-word line rhymes (1st and 4th lines of each stanza) nor do I recommend this idea.

Meter and rhyme are simply tools of poetry among many other tools, and when they play too prominent a role, the words can sound contrived. This exercise in writing was not a disaster, but I think you can see why it don't often let form become so demanding. In my opinion, the challenge of writing and reading metered verse with a strict rhyme scheme is making it sound as conversational as possible. To whatever extent one can resist sing-songy "Roses are Red" rhythms, even a rigid piece like "2012"may have some merit given the historical context that prompted it.Here is a word from a NASA expert to calm any concerns that this post may have inadvertently raised.
22,355
Since 2007, this NASA public outreach website, has received over 5000 questions from the public on the subject of 2012 being the end of life as we know it. While this year is likely to bring significant change to life as we know it, I believe it is the beginning (and not the end) of some very interesting paradigms. It is a wondrous year to stretch our faith as is His will... "For it is not the task of man to set or see the sovereign plan."