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ProjectDFC — Another Octacula Approaches
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Welcome To the Third, Annual
Welcome to the third year of Octacula! In honour of October and all it cree-eights, Octacula shall reign throughout the entirety of the month. Whether it's the tenth month or the eighth (Oct as in eight baby).
Octacula features eight forms divided into two groups. The first group consists of:
Chant Royal: The Chainsaw Wielding Psychopath
The Chant Royal is a murderous French form, invented by Christine de Pizan and Charles D'Orléans in the 15th century. It consists of five 11-line stanzas with the rhyme scheme [a-b-a-b-c-c-d-d-e-d-E] (E is a refrain) and either a 5-line [d-d-e-d-E] or a 7-line [c-c-d-d-e-d-E] envoi (finishing stanza). The biggest obstacle in a Chant Royal however, is the fact that the same rhyme sounds have to play out throughout the piece and you can't use the same end word twice. It's best to choose a common rhyme sound like eye or bee, otherwise you will run out of words to rhyme and it will unravel.
It doesn't have a set meter type as such, but it is often written in iambic tetrameter or pentameter.
Some Examples
Deal With the Grey OneScathed, was the night under an easy moon
Crept seethingly over, an injured breath
Faint, such a creature, and it did swoon
"At last," said he, "I'll catch my death"
It was his wish, at such a time
He knew himself, no more than swine
No more than dirt, no more than dark
When candle'd lit, he doused the spark
with dreams a'frayed, he hence set forth
Not he, feel weary against price to pay
Humbled fingers that touched not the earthHe looked for light and knew its worth
Black eyes, sunk cheeks, lips puckered still
Brow bent in shame, tensed since such berth
Of whence the grey man took him ill
But he would not let his mind wander
In such a atr... and
Exploring ThoughtsLament about the past- digress,
Emotions flitting into sight,
Fury, pain and bitterness,
Such feelings plaguing me this night,
And all I want is to be free,
From all these hateful memories,
I want these moments to repair,
My heart from all the guilt I bear,
So forgiveness takes it place,
To mend each rip and frightful tear,
There's nothing in life I'd replace.I breathe and I believe - express!
Through every word I hereby write,
Releasing bitterness suppressed,
Though nothing happens overnight,
The darkness taints all that I see,
Twist music to cacophony,
And leaving all to seem unfair,
When I'm the one who chose despair,
As I have run from...
Yet Barely BegunDesperate desires with unyielding hearts,
Care not my dear for you are quite safe,
Id wither; Id die if we mortally part,
Forever Ill hold you, till the ending of days,
For you are my solace, my comforting light,
You drive away darkness, the unending night,
With not even a thought to your own secret pain,
Youd give up your life if mine were but slain,
In our bodies were two, in spirit just one,
Your life is the blood that doth flow through the veins!
This union is strong, yet barely begun.Your caress brings my soul from the smothering dark,
On your beautiful presence my life I will stake,
And on your soft skin I will now make my mark,... and
An Ode to Poe - chant royaleA pioneer of tales to chill and fright
Was Master Poe, for, as you may recall,
He penned "The Raven" - famous not in slight,
Its verses known to many, if not all.
Prosaic works of mystery, to thrill
Most anyone into a deathly chill -
And though he struggled constantly with fate,
His death was tragically too soon a date.
For he shall live forever in his lore,
Though life cut short did ne'er befit this Great,
And thus I quote the Raven - "Nevermore".Now most would think today Poe lived to write,
But he did write to live. 'Twas his downfall
That on this he relied. Try as he might,
He never seemed to capture nor enthrall.
His walled and ambiti...
Grá Reformata: The Paranormal Fear-Jockey
The Grá Reformata was created by Michael King as a variation of the popular form villanelle. It is 27 line poem that features couplets in between classic villanelle tercets.
The rhyme/refrain scheme is as follows:
A1, b, A2| b, c| a, b, A1| b, c| a, b, A2|b, c| a, b, A1| b, c| a, b, A2| a, b, A1, A2|
Some Examples
DFC 2014 - 13. She Walked The StarsI loved her ‘fore I met with her embrace,
A knight of subtle quips and clever wit,
She taught me how to love through time and space,A passion borne of comet’s fire lit -
She walked the stars to softly hold my heart,I gazed as if to memorise her face,
Each twitch and twinkle – I knew every bit -
I loved her ‘fore I met with her embraceA passion borne of comet’s fire lit -
She walked the stars to softly hold my heart,She transformed my world with effortless grace
And tended to more wounds than I’ll admit,
She taught me how to love through time and spaceA passion borne of comet’s fire lit -
She walked the stars to softly hold my heart,In he... and
Ave Aqua RegiaAve Aqua RegiaOh Ave Aqua Regia!
Maria, you must face the truth.
Gold cannot stay. Pante rhea.Your babe, born in shame, a mistruth.
And dare you bestow a gold crown.Grandeur delusions, dementia:
You let them anoint oil, brow smooth.
Oh Ave Aqua Regia!We will find you out as we sleuth,
This crown we will tarnish, bring down.Methods will break your mania,
Science will melt down your untruth.
Gold cannot stay. Pante rhea.Maria? Just a simple youth.
Words cannot infect the whole town.Must stop this poison, Maria.
People are drunk on your vermuth.
Oh Ave Aqua Regia!This madness begins to show tooth.
People burn and will surely drown!You must wi... and :thumb500049488:
A Rain-Drenched FantasySobbing limbs of cedars
Shine, and deep down inside
I'm not happy either Concrete mixers can't glide,
All grayness is their soul.When alone I see her
Majesty - the bark bride,
Sobbing limbs of cedarsDripping and never dried,
Twice-removed from their role.Concrete men are beavers
Chewing splintery hide-
I'm not happy either Now when sun is denied,
I grow to become coal.When you find her, keep her,
Dewy, wooden-eyed bride,
Sobbing limbs of cedarsWith vines too-tightly tied;
All grayness, dim and dull."Never much a reader,
Nor a writer", she tried
I'M NOT HAPPY EITHER "Beauty still was sweeter
Than-", I almost replied,
"Sobbing limbs of ce... and
This Swelling HeartWhat did I see that left me so impressed?
What tenderness and peace did you display
That left joy blooming deep within my chest?It keeps me wide awake, yet gives me rest,
Uneases me, but altogether healing.To search that memory is quite the quest,
'tis one that in my mind I oft replay:
What did I see that left me so impressed?Though I can fully reconstruct the day
We met, I cannot fully scribe the feelingYou roused in me, or how it then progressed
To something that would not give up halfway,
But left joy blooming deep within my chest.For surely I had put you to the test,
That what was fair and flawed would be revealing.And much I saw, but ... and
Let the Music BeginLet the Music Begin 8-12-14 Can you hear the drums, the flute and violin
As they play their lovely song?
Let the music begin!With such lovely music, where can we go wrong?
If seeing is believing, oh won’t you seeThat this music is dancing and light, never sin.
It’s in a place like this where we belong,
Can you hear the drums, the flute and violin?This music is growing, this music is strong,
This music is glowing, this music is free.Oh how can you bear it, you with your grin,
To sit there and not hear – to your head be the gong!
Let the music begin.Listen as it swells within the throng,
Listen as it fills you as well as me.Music is a game t...
Pentelloum: The Psychological Mind Fuck Master
The pentelloum was devised by haijinik and it is a combination of the villanelle and the pantoum. Any meter or syllabic count is fine, just be consistent throughout the piece. It features at least two 5-line stanzas with refrains and a strict rhyme scheme. The first and last lines of the first stanza invert and are used in the last stanza.
The template below is a three stanza template.
A1, B1, A2, B2, A3 | B1, C1, B2, C2, B3 | C1, A3, C2, A1, C3 |
Some Examples
Written in the Color of My LoveBlackest ink, the color of my love,
Has carved the snowy footsteps in the night;
Compelled to venture where the land grows rough
And wrapped in breathlessness like candlelight,
Composing notes you may find good enough.Be carved in snowy footsteps of the night
And melting snow. With ink as warm as blood,
Come wrapped in breathlessness like candlelight.
I am in search of truth in cedarwood;
A wanderer enamored of the right.Melted snow with ink as warm as blood.
Composing notes you may find good enough,
I am in search of truth in cedarwood.
Blackest ink, the color of my love:
I write and yet remain misunderstood. and
calamari, anyone?my muse is a cephalopod.
i'm subject to her squiddy whims.
with ten arms wielding staves and rods,
any rebellion could be grim;
it's dangerous when we're at odds.i'm subject to her squiddy whims;
it's dangerous when we're at odds,
any rebellion could be grim.
my muse is a cephalopod...
i could drown in severed limbs. and
Lullabyyou can rest your head on my shoulder
don't let the world just pass you by
the pastel sky blends together
a soothing sight for restless eyes
drift off lightly as a featherdon't let the world just pass you by
birds croon for the lingering breeze
a soothing sight for restless eyes
a lullaby to tempt your dreams
allow yourself to fantasizebirds croon for the lingering breeze
drift off lightly as a feather
a lullaby to tempt your dreams
you can rest your head on my shoulder
just rest your weary eyes and sleep
EveningThe capillary rasp of tongues,
I know nothing but chattering
As warm air trades its place with young;
A shiver starts resurfacing
Within the walls of little lungs.I know nothing but chattering,
Wintery gust I taste your braid;
A shiver starts resurfacing
As degrees fall in centigrade,
The weaving wind is circling.Wintery gust I taste your braid
Within the walls of little lungs,
As degrees fall in centigrade
The capillary rasp of tongues
Will end all things that I have said. and
Marching With PrideMarching With Pride 6-2-15 Hey you with that placard standing over there,
Promoting death and destruction for all who are gay.
Do you really think a father with arms open to hug like a bear
Would kill someone because of how that someone was made?
Yes, I march with them. Why do you stare?Prompting death and destruction to all who are gay
Is like bringing hell’s wrath upon those with brown hair.
Would you kill someone because of how that someone was made?
I wouldn’t, it’s stupid and certainly not fair.
So come one and come all – it’s time hatred was stayed.It’s like bring hell’s wrath upon those with brown hair.
Yes, I march with them. Why d... and
PendulumsWe two, like skybound pendulums that sang
Alone on alternating frequencies,
Drew near in heartfelt motions, then we swang
Harmonically. We made such harmonies
Our heartbeats lined up perfect, pang for pang.Alone on alternating frequencies,
Alas, that vital beat now runs too slow
Harmonically. We made such harmonies
But now that period's stopped. For all we know,
Fantasias have turned to fantasies.Alas, that vital beat now runs too slow.
Our heartbeats lined up perfect, pang for pang,
But now that period's stopped. For all we know,
We two, like skybound pendulums that swang,
Now wait to be laid hold of and let go.
Diebhidhe: The Deliberate Sociopath
The Diebhidhe is a Gaelic form with features quatrains of 7 syllables a line, at least 2 alliterations per line, light rhyming in couplets (aabb) and a lot of alliteration and cross rhyming in the 3rd and 4th line of each stanza.
Some Examples
Becoming the NightAll along my journey here,
feeling daylight disappear,
darkness drains the will to fight,
monsters roam the pale moonlight,Drifting deeper, fleeting flame,
never will we be the same,
turning, twisting through the gore,
dance with the death forevermore.Broken, blackened, my rebirth
seeking evil to unearth,
shadows slither through the gloom,
exploring this empty tomb,Raven riding, passing storm
in the air while we transform,
sky gone grey-scale, stealing light,
before I become the night. and
Diebhidhe: Ink KingdomsWhat justice comes from teacups
Bringing tell-tale mem'ries up
To light, unloved and straining
'Gainst guarded hearts complaining?Take up the tomes of freedom
The classics, cut from kingdoms,
From republics, raw democracies
Crossing years of youth that bleedRaw emotion poured from poets
Thrust as far as they can throw it
Into rain and run-off streams
Ancient dynasties and dreams.Blood and ink and rain congeal
Written well and safely sealed.
Posterity promised praise;
Children's children read and raisedTeacups by a tender fire
Books in bundles stacking higher.
Rain outside falls fast about;
Old men keep the kingdoms out.Flood the fire, burs... and
Hallowe'en DiebhidheNightly noise of wolves a-howl
Hooting of a hoary owl
Bitter breeze that knocks my knees
Frosty freeze that cracks the treesWitches whooping as they fly
Sweeping swooping in the sky
Cats of black that arch their backs
Creaky shack with lock that slacksViscous veiny blood from bites
From fangs of vampires on nights
Where bat betides, moonlit rides
From ghostly guides, law abidesAnd amazing in the hour
Bells ring rightly in the tow'r
Midnight moon will set down soon
Death, dealt ruin from sunrise boonSeeming so, I cheated death
With the dawn's delightful breath
By my mien, what I have seen,
Must've been, but Halloween
Eyes Dry, Waterproof WhiteLet's get it over with, while
The door does inch a short mile;
Let's close it slowly like old
Books bought, sold, and here untold.Let's take up reading new tomes,
Hold on to new Greeces, Romes;
Let's make up poems tonight,
Words aside, waterproof white. and
EclipseBrazen ones of demon blood,
Come to brave the muck and mud,
Watching, waiting for the moon,
May it make its presence soon.Silently on sandy shores,
Angels come, they can't ignore,
This displayed divinity,
As they bask in its beauty.Energy eclipses here,
Fire, frenzy, doubt and fear,
As the light and happiness,
Wage their war on darkness.Bitter battle; brethren bleed,
Hastened as no warnings heed,
Destruction brings only death,
Beings breathe their final breath.As angels ask for timely peace,
Demons cut; they cannot cease,
Nasty nightmares they create,
Or oft they obliterate.Varied vices show their ways,
Angels love and live to save,
While ... and
Baby-BeanBaby-Bean 28-12-12 Baby-bean, beautiful babe,
Look at what my body made.
Happy heart beats super strong,
Powerful pulse; you belong.Body bleeding, what the fuck?
Heart is heaving, more bad luck?
Dearest doctor, mumbling, said:
“Pulse has passed, your baby’s dead.”Baby-bean, miraculous,
Body broke, disastrous.
God is good, the Christians chant,
He took you; it’s you I want.Glorious God, full of “love”,
Stole my son to He’en above.
My body rejected you;
There was nothing I could do.
To challenge them we have…
Octelle: The First To Die (the person who always goes into the haunted place/ yells “Hello” to random shadows coming towards them)
The Octelle was created by Emily Romano. It consists of one 8-line stanza using personification and symbolism in a story telling manner. The syllabic count is 8, 8, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8 with the rhyme scheme is A1,A2,b,b,c,c,A1,A2.
Some Examples
By light of flameGathering on All Hollow's Evedarkness powers the spells I weave,
a full moon and starless night
flock of ravens taking flight,
only by the light of flame
can the evil be reclaimed,
Gathering on All Hollow's Eve
darkness powers the spells I weave. and
Rooted in SeasonsFirm roots; her branches claw the sky,
Leaves fall; the oak is heard to cry.
Springtime rain and summer sun,
Of the past - each season done.
Autumn winds through branches sing,
Of winter sleep and dreaming.
Firm roots; her branches claw the sky,
Leaves fall; the oak is heard to cry. and :thumb565413163:
:thumb502740478: and
Remembering 1992They took me in this neighborhood
To where a Blockbuster once stood.
Picture this: the misery
Injustice brought to injury.
This was neutral ground before
It burned before a riot's roar.
They took me in this neighborhood
To where a Blockbuster once stood. and
Hidradenitis and The Office (Octelle)Hidradenitis and The Office 1-10-16 The window swishes with a sniff,
Its eyes piercing, its backbone stiff.
Breathing in and breathing out
It creates silence that shouts.
You write your notes in bold ink,
But the window shouts “You Stink!”
The window swishes with a sniff,
Its eyes piercing, its backbone stiff.
Octain Refrain: Comedic Relief/Token Minority (Dies halfway through while repeating tired stereotypical phrases)
The Octain or Octain Refrain is a form developed by Luke Prater. It consists of eight lines structured Abb, aca, bA.
It can also be presented as A, bba, cab, A with the two refrains wrapping around the two tercets. The fifth line (c) should have some internal rhyme in it.
Some Examples
A Lesson in EscapismWhen inspiration escapes thought
and your muse has curled up, catlike,
has given up, taken a hike;don't just give up, don't be distraught -
go and brave the stormy seas, shoot
into space like an astronaut.You can't just wait for lightning strikes
when inspiration escapes thought. and
Navigating Winter (DFC 2014)Snowflake dragonflies sash and sway.Beneath a pregnant, lofted moon
we watch the sky. Remember June?
We both stood tall, our fears at bay.Hearts cracked, the past weighs on our backs.
On crooked paths, we've gone astray.
Two hurt souls lured by winter's croon.Snowflake dragonflies sash and sway. and
secrets untoldI took your whispered secrets to the grave.Watched from afar where it was cold,
lamented our story left untold,
while death took me for a slave.Stumbling through this afterlife,
trying but failing to be brave.
Your hand never mine to hold.I took your whispered secrets to the grave.
Sight of StarsThe sight of stars in growing dark
Lends the soul a comfort still
Knowing darkness will not fillThe night completely; no, a spark
Is always there, no matter where
Your thoughts may lead you; blank and stark.The doubt will come again, it will--
But stars will light your dreamer's heart. and
NotM - Bounty: RebirthFrom the Dust 2-8-15 Out from the dust of bitter, twisted words, I’ll rise.You scorned me as your peer, when we were young in soul,
And you’ll scorn me still today, even though we’ve grown old.
You hated my wings and wisdom, my intellect and eyes –You thought me ugly in appearance, thought I couldn’t tell the difference
Between words of good and words of lies –
But I’m reborn from your ugly mould:Out from the dust of bitter, twisted words, I’ll rise. and
DFC 2014 4: Widow's WalkWe spent a summer by the sea.The crested waves the shore confined
shall now my weary spirit bind.
I lack all longing to be free.Is there a tryst I would not risk,
some task to which I'd not agree
if we could go back to that timewe spent a summer by the sea?
Trois-par-Huit: The Nerd/Logical One (Tried to tell Octelle not to be a dumb ass)
Trois-par-Huit or Three by Eight was created by Lorraine M Kanter and consists of three stanzas totaling 8 lines. The orientation can either be 3, 3, 2 OR 3, 2, 3. The syllabic count builds and then shrinks (3, 6, 9, 12, 12, 9, 6, 3). It is meant to be centred on the page. The last line is the title of the poem and summarises the content of the poem. The rhyme scheme is: aab, bbc, cc OR aab, bb, ccc.
Some Examples
Shaping Thin (DFC 2014)The monster lurks, a masked impostorlaying claim to space beneath warm skin.She stays locked 'tween my ribs, my hidden conjoined twin--raking long nails across sharp bones, shaping me thin.I beg and I scream. "Please let me be!"But such strong doubts don't leave.She is me. and
hollow glowSurrounded,here I stand, astounded,
wandering beneath a ghostly light.Weaving between trees, guided through the dark of night,
path forgotten, along this trail they've taken flight,
I alone am compelled to follow.too awed to wallow...
it's hollow.
light and darkdark and light?
one another benight.
each is a curse and each is a boon;one can just as easily get lost at high noon,
as one can truly find one's self beneath the moon.end and beginning, equally hark;
from each other embark
light and dark. and
The OakStand strong dear,
Be the immovable oak,
Facing thousands of storms to remainA canopy of shelter, shielding all below
Its structures create ecosystems of its ownAs the oak won’t cower from the rains
Remember what you know,
You own fear.
Ottava Rima: The Lucky Bastard (The one with the least amount of skill, but a hell of a lot of luck)
Ottava rima is a very old form, originating back before Medieval Europe, being the inspiration for Bocaccio and Chaucer. It rhymes abababcc. It is traditionally done in iambic pentameter.
Some Examples
A SongA bugle to the weary ear
Removes all dreams of kingdom come,
Recedes the soldier's fallen tear
And bellows his heart with the drum,
As clamors shield on pointed spear
And sings a euphony of home,
Each dying troop with closing breath
Attends a symphony of death.A lover's welter and his woe
Seeks a violin's weeping strain,
For melody melts spite and snow
Which haunts the sinking, swooning swain,
And thus forgiven, flame and foe
Which brewed the draught of lover's bane,
Ascends the tune, a breath of June
A heart in summer 'neath the lune.An oboe wakes a human note
In crystal seas where saints have drowned,
A grand piano did once quote
A lay... and
To a PsychoticWhat visions in that brainbox daily wend?
With lightning-crackled clarity, last night
You told me of a city where they mend
The haggard blind-man's eyes with shards of light
Derived from silver filaments that lend
An antique gleam of past events to sight.They call you mad, but gladly would I give
My own two eyes to see the world you live.
Aphrodite
From the very moment my eyes beheld thee,
Full adorned, head to toe, with shells shimmering
Was when the sun and I first rose from the sea
And yet, apparition of time glimmering,
You stepped in the surf and came naked to me;
I, who's darkly ephemeral murmuring
Would by exposure thus mockingly decree,
But it was you became my Aphrodite. and
Old MenHe watched the old men gather in the yards,
reflecting on their misbegotten youth
as they hunched over checkers and their cards;
and pondered how aesthetics and the truth
were once pursuits left only to the gods
turned out for trade and trickery in sooth.
That knowledge culled and ransomed in their prime
would only serve their memories with time.
Ruleses and Ickies to be Observed
Stamp made by the formidable and fierce HugQueen - go give love!
Related content
Comments: 13
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
You're very welcome!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
1) Do the poems have to be horror themed?
2) Can I write one poem for each form and submit them all or is it one entry per person?
3) Definitely going to enter - these forms are terrifying but also awesome.
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
1) No
2) One for each works better
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
1. Nope just in the forms presented.
2. You can write as many as you like in any of the forms, and submit them all.
3. YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
4. Also, WELCOME 
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Awww this means it's almost a full year since I first learned about ProjectDFC! Now that I'm more familiar with how it works, I can actually attempt Octacula this year.
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
That's so cool! Good luck and can't wait to see what you come up with.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
That is so cool 
👍: 0 ⏩: 0