This poem was written as my third entry in a prompted poetry
contest using the atom poetic form; the other three entries were:
On A Vicious Cycle,
On Morning Addictions, and
On Love’s (Shelf) Life.
While the poem can be read straight through, each tercet is actually
meant to be paired with the succeeding one; so tercets one and two are
paired, then two and three, three and four, four and five, and five and
one to complete the ring. Thus, there is no punctuation.
The title is a play on the lyrics of the traditional Christmas carol
The Twelve Days Of Christmas.
But rather than receiving five golden rings to wear, it is the five
golden rings of the bell to attract “gold” in the donation collection
kettle. It also refers to the fact that the five tercets are meant to be
a repeating interlocking ring.
