Paradelle For Plummeting
the choice stood back and i stood
the choice stood back and i stood
undecided how to push the balance
undecided how to push the balance
how undecided stood the i, push
stood choice back to balance
spin is measured in sickness
spin is measured in sickness
real but still reeling
real but still reeling
still spin measured real
but is reeling sickness in
to fall is flirts with edges
to fall is flirts with edges
land hardens on landing hard
land hardens on landing hard
hard to land flirts with
fall is hardens landing on edges
sickness is to fall in undecided:
i push but the reeling is how
edges spin back on balance.
stood, flirts and hardens,
land hard with the choice measured,
still stood real on landing.
spinkle 2004
This poem is a paradelle, a form contrived by Billy Collins to mock the rigidity of many forms of structured poetry. (he actually hoaxed the poetry community, claiming it was a lost French form related to the villanelle...heh)
The last two lines of each of the first three stanzas use only the words of the first four lines of each (two pairs of repeated lines), and the final stanza uses only (and all) of the words from the first three stanzas. This is my first one =) and a rare departure into structure for me.
the choice stood back and i stood
the choice stood back and i stood
undecided how to push the balance
undecided how to push the balance
how undecided stood the i, push
stood choice back to balance
spin is measured in sickness
spin is measured in sickness
real but still reeling
real but still reeling
still spin measured real
but is reeling sickness in
to fall is flirts with edges
to fall is flirts with edges
land hardens on landing hard
land hardens on landing hard
hard to land flirts with
fall is hardens landing on edges
sickness is to fall in undecided:
i push but the reeling is how
edges spin back on balance.
stood, flirts and hardens,
land hard with the choice measured,
still stood real on landing.
spinkle 2004
This poem is a paradelle, a form contrived by Billy Collins to mock the rigidity of many forms of structured poetry. (he actually hoaxed the poetry community, claiming it was a lost French form related to the villanelle...heh)
The last two lines of each of the first three stanzas use only the words of the first four lines of each (two pairs of repeated lines), and the final stanza uses only (and all) of the words from the first three stanzas. This is my first one =) and a rare departure into structure for me.
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