In deep crenelated crimson,
Autumn arrives in regal robes.
Her boisterous blue burgundy
surging with violent carmine.
Autumn arrives in regal robes
carpeting the earth with fractured
parquet of mismatched, misshaped shards-
a luscious ramollescence.
Her boisterous blue burgundy
cape blusters with bolstered boldness
as she whips the wind to climax
and She reigns as queen for the day.
Surging with violent carmine,
capped rivers rage with Her breath
and rains fall relentlessly as
She settles in for the long night.
*Retourne format: four quatrains, eight syllables each line, written with a tumbling refrain. The lines of the first stanza provide an opening refrain for the ensuing stanzas. xABC Axxx Bxxx Cxxx. Unrhymed.
More than the grand fireworks display,
above chart-topper music blast;
What is the highlight of this night -
The Media Noche, New Year’s toast.
Above chart-topper music blast,
stay still awhile, to breathe our thanks;
A farewell to the year that was
and welcome one - now upon us.
What is the highlight of this night -
Carousing, whole night rejoicing?
Babe year pushing rudely the old,
at street parties ruled by one clan?
The Media Noche, New Year’s toast -
Grounding to roots, a youngster’s boast.
Each morsel chew, each laugh renews,
one's world-weary bones and sinew.
* media noche (Spanish for midnight) - Traditional New Years' Eve feast for Filipino families
18 November 2015
Shall We Retourne Contest -2nd Place
Sponsor: Debbie Guzzi
Shall we retourne now to China
Celebrate this coming new year
To watch fire crackers and dragons
Spring festival season to cheer
Celebrate this coming new year
In fantastic Chinese style
Dance with farmers at temple fairs
Year of the monkey lets go wild
To watch fire crackers and dragons
Would surely be an awesome scene
Hanging red lanterns in the park
In the rich city of Beijing
Spring festival season to cheer
With silver ingots on our plates
Lots of delicious food and fish
And gifts of envelope’s await
© Copyright K.C.Leake
18 November 2015
All Rights Reserved
For The Contest
Plans are made and family gather
by land or air, back to their roots.
Excitement builds; home is in view!
Across the nation, what great feasts!
By land or air, back to their roots
many have traveled; some have not!
Some, with dread, come out of duty,
but many others come with smiles.
Excitement builds; home is in view.
Kids at last can see their cousins!
Some may return to leaf-strewn streets.
Others come sliding in on ice!
Across the nation, what great feasts,
with turkey passed round the tables.
With relatives, friends or colleagues,
folk chat and give thanks on this day!
For the Thanksgiving Day Contest
of Nayda Ivette Negron
The best wordage perfect for use
Is the time most enjoyable
Explicit to no race nor tribe
But patterned to gladden all hearts
Is the time most enjoyable
With unique attributes so rare
Backed up with the message of hope
So distinct that others cant give
Explicit to no race nor tribe
With its limitless benefits
Including such as salvation
So Precious yet made generous
But patterned to gladden all hearts
Holding in its wings happiness
And its era desirable
Truly Christmas deserves it all
How blessed I feel this Christmas Eve
beneath a moonlit winter sky
as lights ignite to mimic stars
while snowflakes melt into our skin.
Beneath a moonlit winter sky
where footprints vanish instantly
from pathways paved with silver snow,
the waning wind breathes quiet sighs.
As lights ignite to mimic stars
on trees that blend into the sky,
they cling with incandescent grace
to frosted branches cased in ice.
While snowflakes melt into our skin
and carols float upon the breeze,
our clouds of breath rise through the night
to coalesce with chimney smoke.
Written: November 5, 2015
For Debbie's "Shall We Retourne" Contest
"Shall We Retourne Contest
French Retourne Poem
Sponsor: Debbie Guzzi
One night, holiday, New Years Eve,
The big ball drops down in Times Square,
Such a big crowd, hard to believe,
"Happy New Year" is then declared.
Wow, isn't Time Square just lovely?
Promises of resolutions,
New York always kept a big flare,
Until the midnight conclusion.
With many people all around,
Drifts of snow through out the whole world,
And my daughter, in disbelief,
Building snowmen and backyard forts.
Lets all cheer the new year is here!
Goodbye to 2015,
For a new year has just begun,
Welcome to 2016.
Written: November 4, 2015
Laura Urbaniak
We celebrate our veterans,
on November the eleventh.
In honor of their great service,
we show our appreciation.
On November the eleventh,
a memorial will be held
at Arlington, to place a wreath,
to honor our fallen heroes.
In honor of their great service,
flags will fly and anthems will play.
Patriotism rules the day,
to laud the bravest of the brave.
We show our appreciation,
for the sacrifices they made,
with free restaurant meals for Vets,
and numerous hometown parades.
11/3/15
For Debbie Guzzi's Holiday Retourne contest
(Retourne is a French poetry form wherein repetition is used. It consists
of four quatrains (four-line stanzas), with each line having eight syllables. The trick
is though that the first stanza's second line must also be the second stanza's first
line, the first stanza's third line is the third stanza's first, and the first stanza's
fourth line is the fourth stanza's first)
A mermaid met three fisherman
She was pleased to offer a wish
The wish differed considerably
Not happy for wishes granted.
She was pleased to offer a wish
To the first fisherman in line
He asked to double his I.Q
Started quoting Keats with surprise.
Wish differed considerably
Of the second fisherman when
He asked to triple his I.Q.
Started predicting tsunami.
Not happy for the wishes granted
The third fisherman thought deeply
Asked to quadruple his I.Q.
Turned into a woman by her.
+++++++
March 28, 2014
Form: Retourne not on PS so entered as Verse Form
Dr. Ram Mehta
Third Place Win
Contest: Dabbling in poetry forms by gautami Phookan
The moonbeam wears its glittered thread,
while stars lift evening's fine sarong
a trance ascends far overhead
moist kisses fondling a raw song
While stars lift evening's fine sarong
in secrets flushed …dark turns to light
when hungry lips meet to adorn
a fragrant tryst of soul’s birthright
A trance ascends far overhead
to drape clandestine hours…winds tease,
pouring a thirst on mouths that spread
dusk to sun in heavenly bliss
Moist kisses fondling a raw song
As lovers moan in harmony
To steal the gaps…now worlds belong
In hush of oneness, as they flee.
A Kiss is Just a Kiss Contest
~ secret love~
7/24/2013
A retourne is a French form of poetry,
similar to the kyrielle, with four (4) quatrains
written in tetrameter (8 syllables/line).
- Lines 2, 3, and 4 are REPEATED
as the first line of verses 2, 3, and 4
Hold me like you'll never let go;
love me, each time, as if the first.
Shake me and quake me, slake my thirst
Quench this fire-My desire.
Love me each time, as if the first;
relearn my flesh, again, anew.
Discover new ways to excite me;
uncover passion's mystery.
Shake me and quake me; slake my thirst.
Give me nectar; let me drink deep-
'til I am filled and satisfied.
I promise I will fill you too.
Quench this fire-My desire;
leave me exhausted, limp, and drained.
Then renew urge, with tender tease.
'til urgency arouse once more!
His heart reached out to touch my soul
Resonating warmth fills my heart
His eyes are as black pools of gold
Handsome ~ statuesque~ work of art
Resonating warmth fills my heart
The passion flows from deep within
Our mirrors of the soul are locked,
A genteel kiss cannot be sin
His eyes are as black pools of gold.
My heart does soar like a lark
His touch to me ~ tender yet bold
From this love I will not depart
Handsome ~ Statuesque ~ work of art
His caring soul fills to the brim
He is the true beat of my heart
How I grin when I think of him
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.