Thursday, September 2, 2010

Paradelle


I've recently become re-interested in poetry forms. The paradelle is a fixed form of poetry, invented by the French in the eleventh century. There are four six-line stanzas in which the first and second lines, and the third and fourth lines, of the first three stanzas must be identical. The fifth and sixth lines of each stanza must use all the words from the preceding lines in the stanza (and only those words). The fourth and final stanza must use every word from the fifth and sixth lines of all the preceding stanzas, and only those words. 

Working within a set frame adds another dimension to my thought process. So here's my second attempt at a paradelle. The first one was a love poem, and I'm not going to post that ; )


When I stare, you look away and ask "what?"
When I stare, you look away and ask "what?"
Tickle my feet until I shriek.
Tickle my feet until I shriek.
Shriek, and I tickle you. My feet. What look?
Ask, "until when"? I stare away. 

Your brother's smile beautiful on your face,
Your brother's smile beautiful on your face,
Voice lilts like a little bird singing.
Voice lilts like a little bird singing.
Little face, your beautiful. Smile lilts. Voice singing.
Your brother's like a bird: on.

Mind colors flutter, never still, yet you think and see all clear.
Mind colors flutter, never still, yet you think and see all clear.
Dark eyes of glory face the world, half-way grin.
Dark eyes of glory face the world, half-way grin.
Flutter, world. Mind you think! Glory never half-way still,
Grin and face dark yet clear. See the eyes of all colors.

You all tickle my world. See, stare, 
yet the colors never clear away.
When you smile, glory lilts, singing, a flutter feet glory grin.
Face on, face dark until I half-way shriek... look. 
Think still. And what?
I like your brother's eyes, the little bird voice, and your beautiful mind.

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