ROUNDEL

This is a form derived from the Rondeau and Rondine in the nineteenth century by the English poet A.G. Swinbourne. It has eleven lines constructed from two quatrains, and a triplet.
The rhyme scheme consists of only two rhymes and a refrain which is made from the first phrase of first line. The convention is for the second line to rhyme with the refrain:.. a. b. a. B ... b. a. b ... a. b. a. B..

Roundel

If he could know my songs are all for him,
At silver dawn or in the evening glow,
Would he not smile and think it but a whim,
If he could know?

Or would his heart rejoice and overflow,
As happy brooks that break their icy rim
When April's horns along the hillsides blow?

I may not speak till Eros' torch is dim,
The god is bitter and will have it so;
And yet to-night our fate would seem less grim
If he could know.

Sara Teasdale

Roundel Posts
Contents

Gloria Carpenter

Amberdawn
Blush of Snow
If I could
Silence
Lorainne Dafney

Sincerely

Kevin McKinney

Game Day
Self Assessed
Spurious
Veil
Ryter Roethicle

Blue Skies
In the summer's river
Magic or Prayer
Patience
Leny Roovers

Migration
My Heron
Yoga III

Gloria Carpenter

Amberdawn

A stretching yawn, awakening surprise,
a visual sensation gazed upon
as golden charms extend when morning spies
a stretching yawn.

On clouds of caramel, a passage drawn
beyond horizon’s ocean-kissing skies,
where melting dreams dissolve in amberdawn.

Those dreams adrift in waves of soft goodbyes
are lulled in cradlesong until withdrawn
to lapse behind the shade of topaz eyes.
A stretching yawn ~

 -----

Blush of Snow

A rosy apple blush on cheeks so cold ~
a frosted sweep with whisk of glitter brush,
illuminated eminence, behold
a rosy apple blush.

Beginning soft as silence, whisper-hush,
a powder base applied as drifts enfold,
concealed beneath a mask of dawning flush.

Still, laughter flows so freely, uncontrolled,
a splash of colour flashing through the slush.
Young faces, fresh, each cheek so bright and bold,
a rosy apple blush.

 -----

If I could

If I could show these stars to you, I should.
Beneath the sequined patterns, lustrous bright,
I'd ask if you would share this place I stood,
if I could.

In greatest brilliancy, a special sight
as Venus radiates romancing mood,
surrendering her beauty to the night.

So crisply clear, now midnight sheds her hood,
her diadem a myriad of lights.
I'd ask you, in reflection, if you would,
~ if I could.

 -----

Silence

She turned to glance once more before she went,
a shadow crossing slowly past her eyes.
He watched her leave, his message never sent.
She turned to glance.

And now too late, she'd gone....how many tries?
With weary heart, his heavy shoulders bent,
he heard again, his lonely stifled cries.

She wondered what his silent gazes meant.
They seemed so empty, fullness in disguise.
She wondered if his dreams, like hers, were spent.
She turned to glance.

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Lorainne Dafney

Sincerely

On my finger my mother's ring
a reminder of her sweet love
each day its brilliant sparkle brings
sincere memories of,

Jenny, gentle as a white dove
I wish I could still hear her sing
her many lullabies above

the noise of everyday things,
or smell her perfume on her gloves
once again, a kiss, anything,
sincere memories of.

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Kevin McKinney

Game Day

He shoots, he scores! He routs the competition;
As he's done e'er since he stood up from all fours.
While step by step securing first position,
He shoots, he scores!

He thumps his chest, he pumps his fists and roars;
Clutching a torch, digits in opposition,
Indomitable, heir to the dinosaurs.

Reacting with reptilian cognition,
When his possessive nature comes to the fore;
In a football match, or nation to nation,
He shoots, he scores!

 -----

Self Assessed

I suppose it'd be best to say nothing
While slumbering canines lie in repose;
But I do get fed up with tongue biting,
I suppose.

I was not called to this, I chose;
Yet I can't claim to be this very thing,
If I've no power for it and it shows.

As fish gotta swim and birds do take wing,
So too, is a dandelion not a rose;
And you may take me to task for judging,
I suppose.

 -----

Spurious

They've lied to you and me from a young age;
Time was, it seemed a harmless thing to do;
But now, thinking about it, I'm enraged;
They've lied to you.

Lied when they said some secret thing was true,
And that the secret keeper was some sage
Who knew the minds of men and god's plan too.

Well, I can read what's plainly on a page;
And actions speak much louder than words do;
What's true and right and moral, I can guage;
They've lied to you.

 -----

Veil

I saw the moon come out to play last night;
Slow dancing with the stars to some soft tune;
Engaged in hide and seek in sheer delight,
I saw the moon.

I heard the lonesome warble of a loon
Across the lake and wondered if she cried
Perhaps because her dance ended too soon.

At morning, as the sun's obscuring light
Dampened dialogue 'tween those illumined
Entities, and removed them from our sight,
I saw the moon.

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Ryter Roethicle

Blue Skies

Blue skies overhead, with streets of white clouds,
Imagination creating pictures on shaped boards.
Charcoal sketching on divine white shrouds.
Blue skies overhead.

Personal thoughts are their own reward,
Conceiving images when allowed,
Or just plain old clouds when ignored.

Lazy afternoons spent away from crowds,
And a canvas across the heavens spread,
Thoughts seen without speaking out loud,
Blue skies overhead.

 -----

In the summer's river

In the summer's river, we rage against the dying stream,
Jacarandas sway and in the summers heat shimmer,
Wine-coloured sun settings, evening birds scream,
In the summer's river.

Served with laughter we enjoy the evening dinner
Young mouths pitter-patter and hungry eyes gleam
In the shallows, youngsters splash a fellow swimmer

In the summer's river, we age slowly in our dreams
We leave it with memories as night grows dimmer
Summer's children, laugh with sun-kissed gleams
In the summer's river.

 -----

Magic or Prayer

Bright sunbeams shine through your hair,
And your flashing eyes outflaming mine,
The magic scene made me stand and stare,
Bright sunbeams shine.

Are you working on some magic design,
Dragging my poor loving heart into your lair?
If you’re using spells how can I decline?

Using such enchantment is hardly fair.
I prefer to think of love as divine
And you an answer to my humble prayer
Bright sunbeams shine.

 -----

Patience

Here and now, is it all that matters
For what has been said will you avow?
Or is it all been just useless chatter,
Here and now?

What has been taken as a vow
Is inconsequential from one who flatters
And time will prove truth anyhow.

Dream as if you will live forever
Smile and let this be your Tao.
And let patience be your meter
Here and now.

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Leny Roovers

Migration

Green parakeets invade my yard;
with starlings they will oft compete
for peanuts or a piece of lard-
green parakeets.

As sparrows eat their fill of treats,
they come in flocks, one standing guard
as turtle-doves cry swift defeat.

These blue-tailed strangers are diehards-
flown from their cage, they now roam streets.
Only black crows will disregard
green parakeets.

 -----

My heron

A solitary bird by heart,
my heron found a mate, I heard.
At first resisting, playing smart-
a solitary bird.

They flew together, hormones’ spurred,
two silhouettes- a work of art;
in feathered breasts, a love then stirred.

Majestic flight, but feet apart-
a partnership was thus incurred.
He fell for her, right from the start;
a solitary bird.

 -----

Yoga III

I feel the blood flow in my toes;
each breath relaxing, as I kneel
to find my center in this pose;
I feel.

All busy thoughts have lost appeal;
as concentration brings repose,
their frantic pace is brought to heel.

From fertile soil a flower grows,
unfolds its petals, that reveal
the essence of a thornless rose-
I feel.

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