Cyrch a Chwta: a Challenge!

My cat adores nothing more

Than salmon, whiting and flake.

And as for my Labrador,

He demands a juicy steak.

But they will not eat them raw —

I cook them, for heaven’s sake!

My parrot says I’m cuckoo.

What to do?  I need a break.

James Aitchison

Teachers’ notes:

God bless the Welsh!  Their fun poetic form, pronounced kirch a choota, requires:

1. An octave stanza (eight lines)
2. Seven syllables per line
3. A choice of two rhyming patterns: aaaaaaba or abababcb; the big trick is Line 7, which has too cross-rhyme internally with Line 8, on either the third, fourth or fifth syllable!

In my poem above, the schematic is:

xxxxxxa

xxxxxxb

xxxxxxa

xxxxxxb

xxxxxxa

xxxxxxb

xxxxxxc

xxcxxxb