G is for Giraffe and Ghazal

It's April, so the Blogging from AtoZ Challenge is in full swing. My theme is Watercolor and Words.  This year I am painting a watercolor to go with each letter and composing a poem to accompany it with a type of poetry that starts with the letter of the day.  I am mostly experimenting with the watercolors still, so don't expect perfection....

Clicking on the letter of the day will bring you to the main site which has links to get to other participants if you would like to go on an alphabetical adventure!

Today I have a ghazal for a giraffe.  The ghazal (pronounced "guzzle") form has many rules. In order for a poem to be called a ghazal, it must adhere to the following:

• typically about love.
• written in couplets, or stanzas of 2 lines each.
• has no less than 5, and no more than 15, couplets.
• couplets must be end-stopped.
• the same number of syllables in each line. Written in meter, but contemporary ghazals don’t require this.
• has a radeef - a refrain repeated at the end of lines 1 and 2, and then at the end of lines 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, etc., and often titles the poem as well.
• has a kafiya - a rhyming phrase that precedes every radeef. The poem cannot repeat any kafiyas.
• the poet usually refer to themselves in the final couplet.

The giraffe (pronounced jer-af'):

• is a long necked mammal, standing approximately 5 meters tall, give or take a meter
  
• does not understand poetry
• does like to listen to music
• runs fast
• kicks hard
• eats leaves way up high
  

 

 

A Ghazal for a Giraffe

Tallest of the earthly animals, dear Giraffe.
Is there another mammal to compare, Giraffe?

You view the world beyond our limited vision,
Seeing all, as from the top of the stair, Giraffe.

Splotched with warm brown fingerpaint,
You are a unique fingerprint of hair, Giraffe.

As a voracious eater of aerial leaves
You send sunlight for shorter plants to share, Giraffe.

Long, limber legs spread awkwardly to lower you.
Stay alert for danger, drink if you dare, Giraffe.

Fast runner, strong kicker, Donna defers to you,
Power tower!  Oh, predators beware! Giraffe!

by Donna JT Smith, ©2025

Phew...so many rules, such a tall order. 

In this poem, the kafiyas are: compare, stair, hair, share, dare, beware.  They precede the radeef "Giraffe".  Each line has 12 syllables.  Each stanza could stand alone and has end-stop punctuation.  I am in the last stanza.  The title has Giraffe in it.  Maybe it isn't exactly a love poem, but I think it's close enough!

Maybe tomorrow will be a one word poem.  Is there one?  Maybe I'll invent it. 

The "Title" poem: 

• It's just one word.  
• The title may be more words than the poem.  

Here's my Title poem for this image:

The Tallest Mammal on Earth (title)

Giraffe (poem)