Iambic Skates

A long, long time ago, when I was young,
on watching skaters move on Poets’ Pond,
(some gliding with great skill, some taking falls).
I donned skates of my own and I began. . . 
Around, around I went, and in my mind,
a lilting rhythm came and said to me:
Go ON and ON and ON and ON and ON.
But I was youthful, restless, uninspired. . .
I left that pond and put my skates away,
to take a path removed from poetry.

Ten years became a decade, then ten more,
and suddenly, a new millennium!
My muse, now heartened, came to me and brought
those skates, which for so long, I had not used.
A bit unsure, I stood beside that pond.
The skates seemed more attractive now. They gleamed!
And something else - new thoughts came to my mind!
The things I’d dreamed and lost; the things I’d gained
came flooding over me; then said my muse -
Go ON and ON and ON and ON and ON. . . 

I noticed all around me other souls
who often showed completely different styles!
Some glided with elaborate smooth moves
while others whirled and danced with arabesques.
The artists leapt and made me catch my breath,
another group did spins to make me laugh.
Some moved, at times, with jolts, and some fell down,
but rarely did a one of them fall out!
For all of them shared passion for one thing -
and so to Poets’ Pond we’d all been drawn.

Go ON and ON and ON and ON and ON,
my sweet muse whispered, and I could not stop.
I tried to model those who skated free,
for some of them made circles all around
me, and I dearly wished that I could be
among that group, glean popularity!
But all I really know and like to do
is move to my own beat. Iambic skates
are those that fit me best. No world-class star
I’ll ever be in poetry’s new world,
but ON I’ll go - and ON and ON and ON. .

Copyright © | Year Posted 2010



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Date: 1/22/2020 1:13:00 AM
Andrea, a SENSATIONAL write. Your heart truly does beat iambically! You are following the rhythm of your own soul when you write in flawless and fluid meter, because this is how you were gifted. Plus, your imagination to equate writing with ice skating is simply delightful! A fave to return to when my well runs dry. Hugs ~ John
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Dietrich Avatar
Andrea Dietrich
Date: 1/22/2020 10:54:00 AM
awww, thanks so much, John!!!
Date: 4/7/2017 4:16:00 PM
Right on, Andrea. : ) Old Laertes was pretty much a clown, but he was dead-on with "To thine own self be true."
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Date: 9/27/2013 7:04:00 PM
March on - and on and on, my gifted friend. I read this piece twice just because. Hearty congratulations on winning the contest with this beauty. Licia :-)
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Date: 9/23/2013 5:36:00 AM
This work is awesome!! No wonder it is in the winners’ list..Sara
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Date: 9/22/2013 7:41:00 PM
nice Metrical verse win... luv~Linda
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Date: 9/21/2013 11:39:00 PM
Congratulations on your big win, Andrea. You skated right in there with your iambic poetry. Love, Joyce
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Date: 9/21/2013 10:09:00 PM
Good morning my dear friend Andrea! My hearty congratulations on your well-deserved super win! A tremendous write I extremely enjoyed reading today. Thank you so much for sharing and cheers! Thanks a lot as well for stopping by. My teaching is quite good though already tiring:))). We've one wk more to go before the exam and after that will be summer vacation/sembreak! Yippee! Well, big congrats again on you super win! Biggest Hugs! love lots, Leonora
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Date: 9/21/2013 10:34:00 AM
Andrea this is great, I will have to learn what all these posh names are for writing poetry....Seren
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Date: 9/21/2013 9:17:00 AM
I remember this amazing and winning poem........it deserves to be read again and again. So happy to share this placement with your amazing talent, Andrea!! Congratulations !!
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Date: 9/21/2013 6:23:00 AM
great write Andrea...your iambic skates took you to first place.....congrats on your win....
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Date: 9/20/2013 11:54:00 PM
Congrats on winning first place in the contest, Andrea
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Date: 9/20/2013 8:13:00 PM
wow...I love this one and boy can I relate...I look back at my old poetry and wonder what the heck I tried to write... it seems you skate beautifully and your muse has grace! Congrats on your well deserved win! hugs :)
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Date: 2/12/2012 3:13:00 AM
OOOOOhhhh MY...I BET YOU ARE NOW THINKING... I'M A PAIN UNDER THE RAINBOW... HE HE HE! WELL ANDREA... I'M JUST STOPPING BY ONE MORE TIME... TO CONGRATULATE YOU..ON ANOTHER WONDERFUL WIN... TRULY I ADMIRE YOU..OR ELSE I WOULD NOT BE HERE RIGHT NOW.. WASTING MY TIME... READING YOUR POEMS... AGAIN.. AND FREE-VERSING YOU WITH MY SPAM COMMENTS... HE HE.. BET YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT IS.. *FREE-VERSING SPAM COMMENT... ME TOO... GO TO GO....TA TA TA..PD
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Date: 2/7/2012 8:12:00 AM
Congratulations to you on your win in Debbie Guzzi 's "Change for the Meter" contest Andrea. Thank you for helping me with my meter. Love, Carol
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Date: 2/6/2012 7:43:00 AM
Andrea ,congratulations on your 1st place win with this beautiful write.
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Date: 2/6/2012 12:49:00 AM
I really loved how you related writing poetry to skating-- very very cool way of doing so! I somehow missed this gem from before! And just wow, in blank verse too! Yup, you are meter queen! Super congrats on your amazing win, sweetie-- keep on skating!! go on, go on!! :D
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Date: 2/5/2012 7:48:00 PM
Andrea...great!! Congrats..baby girl!!
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Date: 2/5/2012 3:49:00 PM
Great poem Andrea. Congratulations on your win! Don't compare yourself - you are unique and have your own beauty of words! Love, Maureen
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Date: 2/5/2012 2:14:00 PM
nice win, thank you, Al
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Date: 2/5/2012 12:18:00 PM
Congratulations Andrea you should meet my hubby he wants skates again. A good winner here xx
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Date: 2/5/2012 11:31:00 AM
Bravo!!!!Bravo!!!! A fantastic write Andrea! Congratulations on your win :) Love, Jon
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Date: 2/5/2012 11:19:00 AM
You wrote this with a metronome on your desk, didn't you? ha ha. I am tickled that this one won, Andrea..Of course you don't know this yet bc you are making spinach dip and bread bowl!hah aha. Congrats to you..don't wanna go on and on and on and on...but that's just what I do! ha ha. Hope you are having a fabulous day! Love, Gwendolen
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Date: 2/5/2012 10:39:00 AM
Your metered blank verse a pleasure to read. congratulations. Love, Joyce
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Date: 2/5/2012 10:30:00 AM
Andrea congrats on your win, an amazing write, loved every word, nice flow..David
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Date: 2/5/2012 10:06:00 AM
woof, andie...on the beat, beta, beat!.. sweet chers on your top win! :) huggs!
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