Oliver says "HI!"

We are twins.


So this week I wrote my first Sestina. What is a Sestina you might ask? Or maybe you're not asking- in which case STOP READING- I promise to bore you. Well it's an incredibly limiting poem to start. The limits begin and end with the fact that the poem is consumed by the choice of six words. Words at any length, words of any theme, words of any part of speech. Rather than an end-rhyme scheme the Sestina has a end-word scheme in which there are six stanzas. These words all must be presented at the end of each six lines of each of the six stanzas. Lastly the poem ends with stanza 7 which is made up of 3 lines containing 2 words per line.

What you come out with is something like this:

This poem is pure fiction. I chose the word "check" after receiving a "check plus" on a paper in another English class. The check grading system angers me. There is no percentage value, and it's hard to tell exactly the magnitude or lack there of in the grade.
And from the word "Check" I started to think of check's and balances and money owed and money gained. Which resulted in this somewhat conventional poem. However I must say, I do take pride in the meter.

(UNTITLED)

I always remember to check,
I step forward and I step back.
Hey you! You need to pay,
but what have I to lose?
But another night, week, month, year
another hour, do you remember

How we used to listen, remember?
I saw a light on, you forgot to check.
You always remembered to check last year.
Now here I lie, thinking back
to the time when I had more to lose
than only you, but now I pay.

My mother said I would have to pay
for the nights out I wouldn’t remember.
But I thought - again I wouldn’t lose,
that I would stay complete. I would always check
myself and would be happy within a year.
I must stop looking back.

Could you please check
when I’m overseas next year
to see who will remember
me- or forget to pay
a memory back?
Will I lose

A positive existence in one year?
A balance, a check- remember?
Don’t take it back.
It’s not what I fear to lose.
Can you be the one to pay
a right to a wrong? I’ve been check-
ing to see what I have to pay,

I’ve been waiting to see what I have to lose,
and waiting to see when you will pay.
What time is it now? Can you check
to see what hour it is? Are you going to remember
this night of this year when you look back,
when you are older? Or will you lose

the memory. I will remember to check
This year, yes I will not, I refuse to look back.
I will lose you, it’s true, but will you ever pay?