1
Dec
2015
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An Advent pantoum (form of poetry)

Today in my writing group video chat, I was introduced to the pantoum, a form of poetry I’d never heard of previously. With just 5 minutes of free writing, I created this, an evocative Advent poem:

  • Here we felt accepted; here we felt affirmed; here we felt known
  • The sky was dark
  • We waited in the car, shivering, while we waited for Mom
  • And off we went to church, us three kids waiting
  • The sky was dark
  • Saying the liturgy and singing the carols, all the time waiting
  • And off we went to church, us three kids waiting
  • And so we listened to the priest and we shuffled in our seats, waiting
  • Saying the liturgy and singing the carols, all the time waiting
  • We waited in the car, shivering, while we waited for Mom
  • And so we listened to the priest and we shuffled in our seats, waiting
  • Here we felt accepted; here we felt affirmed; here we felt known

4 Responses

    1. Sorry – not very helpful, huh? Exercise is to write for 5 minutes stream-of-consciousness on a topic – for us this morning, a Christmas memory. After the five minutes, underline phrases that stand out. Cut them down to 6 lines and number them A through F, ordering them in importance (or in story form). Then lay out your poem like this:

      First stanza: A, B, C, D
      Second stanza: B, D, E, F
      Third stanza: E, C, F, A

      Ta da! Do share yours if you write one Jennie!

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