Worth (Sestina)

A Sestina about what exactly things are worth, and when and when not to sell.

 

Times, It may seem life's lessons were not worth

Those dark hours that you ofen had to spend

Unsure, precisely, trying to add up the price

Carefully deeming what you could afford to pay

Never aware of each and every hidden cost

As you searched for what all you should value

 

Perhaps you changed your mind on what's of value

But if you've given it all, for all that it is worth

That pride is most always greater than the cost

Though you may have a very long life to spend

Never for one moment forget you need to pay

Careful attention, or you'll surely up the price

    

You may say you can't be bought at any price

Because it is only natural for one to value

Independence, but oft that doesn't pay

If you sell out, just get more than you're worth

You'll have to sometimes, to have money to spend

It's becoming insane, what a tank of gas can cost

 

Yet there is one thing not to sell at all cost

For mine the richest man alive can't pay my price

The soul's not for sale, I don't care what you'd spend

For in hardship I truly learned it's highest value

Gaurd tight your soul, and your self-worth

For in the end, it's you the price shall pay

 

Often the tag doesn't say what you'll pay

For much goes into figuring the actual cost

And often what you buy declines rapidly in worth

Yet, the greatest thing comes without any price

Love is the thing I find of the utmost value

And I've gotten more, the more I chose to spend

 

You must decide what you want to spend

And, alas, what it is that you won't ever pay

On some things, place a zillion dollar value

Remembering not to trust a tag alone on cost

There are lessons that come at great price

Yet mostly, we get what we are worth

 

What I truly value most of all is precious time I spend

Giving life all that I'm worth without expecting a dime in pay

For, in the end, all pay the cost, regardless of quoted price

     

                      

     

Author's Note

The repetition is essential to the form. Any advice on what I could change to improve this is welcome.

Reviews

[Emily Elizabeth]

Brilliant- loved the theme, your use of language, the overall flow of the poem. It really shines out, and seems almost rebellious in this capitalist society where, as Marilyn Monroe once so effectively put it, it costs a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul. She was talking about Hollywood exclusively, but I think it applies to the world too.
A brilliant and striking poem, also full of bold beauty. Your experiments certainly are proving to be worthwhile, the quality of your work hasn't slipped an inch!

[Kathryn Alexander]

Very nice and very true. I've seen many people butcher sestinas like you would not believe, either just writing two or three stanzas or messing with the number of lines or omitting the repetition completely. I'm very happy to see that someone actually wrote it correctly. Nice job.

I would only advise changing "Times" in the first stanza to "At times." It's completely up to you, and it might be too much of my hardcore grammar-loving English teacher, but it seems like it might flow better or be more complete by adding the word "at."

[Michael]

Hi C-

Two typos, ofen in the first stanza and Gaurd in stanza four.

I am going to sit with this and think it over some today as far as improvements only because you ask, I really think it is very good as is. This is one of the hardest forms of poetry there is. I remember complaining about writing sonnets so my Prof. made me write a few of these, I never complained about a sonnet again!

[A.J. Smith]

A very well-written, thoughtful and thought-provoking piece. I'm barely acquainted with this form, so this was instructive for me as well. Nice work.

[Poeticpiers]

A difficult form to master, more of a mental exercise than anything elese Well executed and with a clear underlying message. But values change throuhout your life Experience is a harsh taskmistress but its necessary to form your own scale of values. Ivor
It is nice to see you value rhymed and metered poetry