Eight-line Poems

Altai Song

Altai Song

The horse calls, restless in the paddock,
a crow caws a warning from the trees,
far off, a bird yodels of the frozen snow,
the shepherd answers the cries of winter
and the song begins, a deep drone,
gathering pace as the strings join in
and we’re off with the guttural, rhythmic
chant of the riders of the forest.


Line count: 8
Free verse
For Express It In Eight, 11.17.21
Prompt: Altai throat singing.