A Poem for Dianna – Ardin Patterson

We met in the Fall,

When the leaves nearly matched the colour of your pigtails.

You wore them the same way:

Some days braiding them up like ropes

Others tying them up with ribbons.

Even the cloth you draped yourself in, allowed you to camouflage

Among the apple trees in your front yard.

Passing your house was a thrill,

Knowing at any moment you’d leap from above to walk alongside me,

Apple in hand.

Fall was beautiful and your smile was warm against the coming winter’s chill.

I would have done anything to make you laugh

Yet we butt heads more often than we anticipated.

You were up and I was down,

You were Fall and I was sinking in a frozen sea

Losing sight of you and your reds and greens

And the constellations on your skin.

You ran and I chased you, the way children do

When they play

And I suppose we were children then

But we aren’t now

And I know I can never catch you or make you stay.

Like leaves, we were bound to change.

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Written September 27th, 2020 by Ardin Patterson.

I wrote this poem from Roland’s perspective. I think writing poems and songs for or “by” my character’s is one of my favourite exercises. Each of them has their own voice and I find that this really helps me understand them and their motivations better.

I’ve been doing character themed poetry since I was 13…so I guess for 11 years now. I love going back and reading them. Have you ever written a poem or a song based on a character (your own or fanmade).