Winter's March

Contest entry in Monchielle form on theme of 'July'

Winter’s March

July marches onward,
now shortest day has past.
The sun low, with weak breath,
lags on the horizon,
implying summer’s death.

July marches onward;
the southern hemisphere
turns its back on sunlight;
seasons lost underneath
ever increasing night.

July marches onward;
the emperor’s namesake.
Armies of ice and snow
fight enemies of old
with an icicle bow.

July marches onward;
its southern wintry blast
freezing autumn’s warm hue;
entrenched until the spring,
when all life grows anew.

Explanation of form:
The Monchielle is a poem that consists of four five-line stanzas where the first line repeats in
each verse.  Each line within the stanzas consists of six syllables, and lines three and five rhyme.
The rhyme pattern is Abcdc Aefgf Ahiji Aklml.