# Ballad of the Otter War

Author: PoeticOtter
Tags: Otter, Poetry, Wolf

This poem follows the ballad poetic structure, written entirely in iambic pentameter. Some of the rhymes feel forced, but the structure calls for fourteen of the same rhyme, so I had to use a simple word to maximize my options. Nonetheless, I'm glad I made something of a complete narrative here. As before, stressed syllables are in bold for out-loud reading. Critique is appreciated!

A **fail** ure **note** d **by** the **first** to **pen**  
The **rite** of **pass** age **known** to **us** as **war**  
The **best** of **batt** les **make** no **boys** to **men**  
A **card** we **play** to **face** a **way** from **shore**  
And **drown** the **dogs** be **fore** they **can** ex **plore**  
There **could** have **been** a **rea** son **for** the **sight**  
Per **haps** a **si** lent **curse** , for **gott** en **score**  
We **sett** le **calls** of **weak** ness **through** the **fight**

A **year** went **past** since **the** first **strike** back **then**  
And **hope** for **vic** tor **y** will **al** ways **soar**  
The **ott** ers **bleed** a **dog** and **we** take **ten**  
A **wa** ter **wea** sel **made** to **feed** the **corps**  
We **left** the **pelt** to **scare** them **off** some **more**  
And **now** I **can** not **fight** the **smell** of **blight**  
The **al** pha **fell** up **on** his **knees** and **swore**  
We **sett** le **calls** of **weak** ness **through** the **fight**

A **cen** tur **y** has **gone** , we **fight** a **gain**  
The **past** re **pressed** and **an** y **rea** son **tore**  
The **dogs** and **ott** ers **bleed** from **den** to **den**  
My **son** , he **shrieks** from **night** mares **of** the **gore**  
A **rain** or **two** could **wash** the **sin ** be **fore**  
Now **ev** ery **light's** a **sha** dow **of** our **spite**  
But **we** can **ne** ver **lose** the **ott** er **war**  
We **sett** le **calls** of **weak** ness **through** the **fight**

To **night** the **reap** er's **come** to **my** back **door**  
My **son** will **leave** to **carr** y **on** the **plight**  
Of **spe** cies **kept** from **the** en **light**'ning **store**  
He'll **sett** le **calls** of **weak** ness **through** the **fight**

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/J1OkyZg1