Limited Resources | A Cascade Poem

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If I had my last pen, with only a few drops of last ink
If my eyes had only enough oil to last a few minutes 
If my brain could retain only seven megabytes data

I don’t think my new invention is so uncreatable
May not be a masterpiece, but I’d rather write about you
If I had my last pen, with only a few drops of last ink.

I’ve so much to learn, an important research paper at least
But our chat is too long, and the photo gallery await
If my eyes had only enough oil to last a few minutes.

Yes, I spent years to gather data, labor and sleepless nights
Seven megabytes isn’t enough for our lovely memories
If my brain could retain only seven megabytes data.

~ by Ritika Nahata

Cascade Poem

A cascade poem is a pattern based poetic form. In this form, the first stanza is made up of refrains that are repeated in the subsequent stanzas creating a cascading effect.
There is no other rule in respect of meter, rhyme, etc.

Pattern of a Cascade Poem

If you are to write a poem with trecet stanzas, it would look like:

A
B
C

d
e
A

f
g
B

h
i
C

• Here lines A, B, and C are refrains.
• The first stanza is made of these refrains.
• Refrains are repeated at the end of each of the subsequent stanzas.

Similarly, if you were to write a poem with quatrain stanzas, it would look like:

A
B
C
D

e
f
g
A

h
i
j
B

k
l
m
C

n
o
p
D

So if you are to write a long poem, you can increase the number of lines in each stanza.

Cascade Poem – Invented By

Udit Bhatia

In This Poem – Limited Resources

• The three lines in the first stanza are refrains.
• They are repeated as refrains in the last line of subsequent stanzas.
• The speaker of the poem emphasizes her priorites in case she had limited ink to write, limited time to see, and limited memories to retain. She would value her friends and the memories with them over any other things. These things may not be of any value to the world, but their prime to the speaker.

Read about more poetic forms and devices here.

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