Thursday, April 19, 2018

R is for ROADHSE and Rondel


It is Poetry Friday, and what better news than that the anthology Imperfect: poems about mistakes: an anthology for middleschoolers, editor: Tabatha Yeatts, comes out today and is available through Barnes and Noble??   I'm excited to have three poems in there!

I also wanted to point you in the direction of The Mistakes Anthology blog where I have a riddly poem of a storybook mistake-maker. I'll bet you recognize this character!


Also, I am participating in the A to Z Challenge this month and incorporating National Poetry Month
by writing poem each day.

Today's letter for the AtoZ is R.  I have spent the past year-ish taking pictures of Maine vanity plates on cars in parking lots in Maine.  This year each poem form also begins with the same letter.  I found 2 Maine vanity plates for today, and chose a Rondel for ROADHSE.

A Rondel is a French form consisting of 13 lines: two quatrains and a quintet, rhyming as follows: ABba abAB abbaA. The capital letters are the refrains, or repeats.



Roadhouse

By the side of the road, a dusty road,
The red brick home stood straight and tall
Its path to the door welcomed all
With promise of a warm abode.

Where fireside conversation flowed
In spite of night and owl call  
By the side of the road, a dusty road,
The red brick home stood straight and tall.

Its complexion faded and colors yellowed,
Its furnishings encased in pall
And stains of age upon the wall
This was the home that brightly glowed
By the side of the road, a dusty road.

by Donna JT Smith, ©2018

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RYSKY is a good poem for another time.



Please visit more poetry goodness at  - oh, wait!!!
It's Tabatha's turn to host at The Opposite of Indifference today!  
Perfect!  
She will probably have a bit to say about
Imperfect!


17 comments:

  1. I love your Roadhouse poem. You have wonderful imagery and I love the repetitive line.

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  2. “By the side of the road, a dusty road,” has a nice rhythm. The whole poem has a nice feel to it. Well written, thank you for sharing.

    https://writingiscommunication.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/racing-the-space-between-bookstore-presented-by-a-to-z-100-word-stories/

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  3. Another great poem. I didn't say it yesterday, but I kept thinking afterwards how impressed I was with your "Q" license plate. These are truly impressive.

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  4. Congrats for your poems in Imperfect, Donna. Mine is on its way! It's a wonderfully nostalgic poem, today for "R"!

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  5. Congrats on your poem being included in Imperfect--and happy book birthday to it! I love the rhythm of your Roadhouse poem.

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  6. What a clever idea to begin with a license plate! Your subject and form fit together well. I love the comforting rhythm.

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  7. We have these places in upstate NY - haunting places. Happy book birthday!

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  8. I'm continually impressed by your A to Z entries this month. I love the poems and love learning about all these poetic forms. My husband and I always mourn a little when we pass an old barn which has finally collapsed from the weight of time and neglect. Those old forgotten homes move me as well. So many stories echoing around in fading chambers...

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  9. Love the picture you've painted with your rondel.

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  10. Hi Donna! What would you do with RYSKY, I wonder? Your Roadhouse poem evokes such a vivid scene, with a poignant ending.
    Glad to have you on Team Imperfect!!

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  11. I love your circular structure! Your words have totally painted a picture in my mind.

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  12. That's the second rondel I've seen in this week's Poetry Friday offerings. Thanks for sharing it - it's very good. And congratulations on your three poems in the anthology!

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  13. Congrats on your three poems published in Tabatha Yeatts new book. I love your rondel, beautiful imagery. I've made note that I need to try this form.

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  14. Wow! I can't wait to see Imperfect....and THREE poems. That's awesome. Many congratulations. I love how you begin Roadhouse. The road....not just any road, a dusty road. There's a folksy warmth that pulls me in. I want to visit this place.

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  15. Congrats on your poems in the "Imperfect" anthology Donna. Your "Roadside" poem goes well with the license plate–the license plate has a slightly weathered feeling to it and you pick up on this in the third stanza as your poem as closes, thanks!

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  16. Donna, your license plate poems are a perfect idea! I love Roadhouse. Thanks for reminding me about rondels.

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