Prompt - an outdoors photo

When in the dark wood wandering

Each pilgrim to the altar brings

A sacrifice of heart's delight

Until the heart lights on all things.

https://youtu.be/snIo2FrBGXY

St Juan de la Cruz, Cantico Espiritual, Noche Oscura / Brother John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticles, The Dark Night 

"Solo la sed nos alumbra."

"Thirst is our only guiding light."

This prompt took me back to a woodland walk in Yorkshire, reminding me of the feeling of seeing a glade bathed in light through the canopy of dark tightly packed trees. The transformation in a moment of the sense of being lost, and of finding. Illumination.

The Rubaiyat Quatrain is a form I have never tried before. I found it while reading some of the expert poets on Wattpad, but when seeking to give you a link I couldn't find it . Not everyone keeps their work up all the time. But I will take this opportunity to thank Karen @openadoor and Olan @CottonJones both virtuoso poets who are very generous in their guidance of those of us at the beginning of the poetic learning curve.

The Rubaiyat quatrain originates in Persian but in English uses the iambic pentameter  and aaba rhyme scheme. That gives a natural feel without being overly predictable, and so helps you to think, to be mindful maybe.

Each stanza should be able to stand alone, and have enjambement, a run on line. When a third stanza picks up a rhyme from the first there can be a beautiful cyclical quality.

When we reach into given patterns to guide our choice of word or rhythm, we can find guidance to more than we knew were going to say. I did.

I'm grateful to the poets of Wattpad and this prompt guide for the discoveries I'm making here :))