Sestina

I've been struggling with this poem for my creative writing class for about a week now & I finally completed it! The type of poem is called a Sestina & it has a certain out line that you have to follow to write the poem, so it was a little difficult for me. I'm use to just free styling & writing what I feel when I write, so when you start throwing rules at me I get a little frustrated. But I must say I kind of like the finished product. There are six words that have to repeat throughout the poem & in a certain order so let me just give you guys the setup of the poem...

1 2 3 4 5 6
6 1 5 2 4 3
3 6 4 1 2 5
5 3 2 6 1 4
4 5 1 3 6 2
2 4 6 5 3 1
(1 2) (3 5) (4 6)

So there you have how this ish works. & another thing that bothered me is the fact that the poem isn't supposed to rhyme, which feels crazy & insane to me! But here is my first ever Sestina titled "Many Men" which is about going through trials & tribulations within different relationships that lead up to meeting Mr. Right, Prince Charming or whatever you want to call him. LOL!

Sestina/ Many Men


I've been in relationships with many men,
& all that seems to part from their lips are lies,
Plus, they act like it's human nature to cheat,
I end up with a broken heart when what I was searching for is love,
You know, a relationship that's genuine & real,
& only when I find that can my heart be at peace.

I need consistency, stability & peace,
But so much for finding that with these trifling ass men,
I guess I can't expect everyone to be like me & keep it real,
But does 99.9% of the things you say have to be lies?
I was such a sucker for so called “love”,
In some situations I even stuck around after they cheat.

& after being betrayed at some point I'd be the one to cheat,
Thinking that it would bring me some type of comfort or peace,
When in actuality I was stooping to the level of the one I love,
But there was nothing fulfilling about messing with random men,
& now I'm the one feeding all the lies,
When I use to be the one who was always honest & real.

I take it as a lesson & now I can tell the fake from the real,
& if I've been hurt & feel like it's too much, I'll leave before I cheat,
Never again will I put up with all kinds of bull shit & lies,
I'll only settle for a man that will put my heart at ease & at peace,
I've had my share of good & bad men,
So I'll definitely know when I come across real love.

So I think I've finally found my love,
Our bond is indescribable & so real,
It's like he's out of a fairytale & can't be compared to any other men,
He's faithful... Definitely not a cheat,
He makes me feel secure & he's what keeps me at peace,
He's just like a best friend so there's no need for lies.

If I said I wasn't head over heels it would be nothing but lies,
Never in my life, for one individual have I felt so much love,
& I get the love in return so that fills me with joy & peace,
I know this all may sound so mushy, but it's nothing less than real,
If this were a game to win his heart is the only way I'd cheat,
I've got this tunnel vision now, I don't see any other men.

I'll say it again, that I've had my share of many men & their back stabbing & lies,
Who cheat on a regular basis & are incapable of keeping it real,
But I've been through all of that to finally find my love & be at peace.