(Steemit School Poetry 100 Day Challenge: Day 8) THE HUNTRESS

© Ikhwanul Halim

Dear All,

For my 8th submission, here is my attempt on sestina, a fixed verse form consisting of six sextet and a triplet, repetition of the initial six end-words of the first stanza through the remaining five six-line stanzas, culminating in a three-line envoi.

This thirty-nine-line form is attributed to Arnaut Daniel, a troubadour of the twelfth century in Provence, France.

THE HUNTRESS

by Ikhwanul Halim

with permission from © Ra Benlantara
Model: Rossa Benlantara

(1)
this is a sestina ‘about a bounty huntress,
for the first time in life, her heart touched by love.
Despite of the fact, she was used to pain,
this unwonted experience kicked into her heart,
as a disenter; not many understand her underlife:
day by day, through the nights; face to face with Death

(2)
each time she kills her prey, a piece of her soul died.
'tis romance took all her passion for man hunt.
and so, gradually caused her lost will to live.
the fragile feeling of a maiden in love-
for him never knew about her dealing heart,
to the rest of time, being cursed in deep pain

(3)
her misery before, never she let her pain,
but this love took her breath away, she’s dying
makes her most human, a killing machine with heart,
but now—each moment when she’s out for hunting—
she thought about inamorato, the man she loved,
souls she’d sacrificed shall bring him back alive.

(4)
vivid nightmare’s haunting her sleeps; keeps her alive
his sweet words; why destiny played painfully—
paralized her with unwanted, never-ending-love?
she summerized her action, why it was so deadly
the prize was big, but then she’s not for hunting
as he’s falling with her bullet passed through his heart

(5)
first time in life, she whispered God’s name heartily,
shouting loud through multiverse, praying for his life.
her inquisiton longing more than salem’s witch hunt.
by cupid’s spell too strong for a killer rise in pain,
her agony kills, not the angel of death.
from now on, never again to fall in love

(6)
nobody ever teach her, the throes of love.
how the cited lines of stanza within the heart,
know to let the only one we love dying,
to living the life, much more to be alive.
moves on, never look back, leaves all the pain—
the path she has chosen as a bounty huntress

(7)
whilst loving someone makes her more alive,
and her heart feels the feel of eternal pain,
Death still avoiding the beautiful huntress.

© Ikhwanul Halim

Bandung, March 15, 2018

This is my 8th submission for 100 Day Poetry Challenge conceived by Daniel Pendergraft @d-pend. I am still a beginner in English poems.

If you want to participate, please do not hesitate to join Steemit School discord.

Big thank @d-pend for giving me this chance to participate in this event.