Paint Chip Rondelet
I’m back on track this week with a prompt based on an entry in the next section of the poetry dictionary and the normal seven paint chips, randomly selected, to work with. We are in the R section and there were a lot of great options to choose from and I had a hard time deciding. I finally settled on a short poetry form called the rondelet, which John Drury defines as follows:
RONDELET (ron-deh-lay’; French, “little rondel”) A form consisting of seven lines, with a refrain and only two rhymes. The rhyme and refrain scheme is AbAabbA (capital A = refrain). The refrain lines (A) each contain four syllables; the other lines (a and b) each contain eight syllables.
the poetry dictionary, pg. 263.
The Challenge

Your challenge is to write a rondelet using one of the paint chip words or phrases as part of your refrain. You can use however many of the other words and phrases as you want in the other lines.
The paint chip words and phrases you have to choose from are firefly, zephyr, fig leaf, key lime, night, rainstorm, and cabin in the woods.
Obviously that last phrase won’t work for the refrain because it is more than four syllables. To add to the challenge, I want the title of your poem to be that final paint chip: cabin in the woods.
My Poem
Cabin in the Woods Watch a firefly Just after the drenching rainstorm Watch a firefly Lighting up the darkest night sky Maybe one or a perfect swarm Beauty in creation's art form Watch a firefly
Your Turn
Now it’s your turn to write a rondelet about a cabin in the woods. It might be a real cabin you recall or an imaginary cabin. Don’t forget to use one of the paint chip words as part of your refrain. Post your poem in the comments, or post it on your blog and drop a link in the comments. I look forward to reading all your wonderful rondelets
20 Responses
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Sorry! I wrote a rondelet but forgot to look at the rest of the challenge, so here’s the proper one:
Cabin in the Woods
One crazy night,
In the rainstorm everything changed,
One crazy night.
We snuggled down by the fireside;
Finally battled through the pain,
Savouring each other again,
One crazy night.
I love this one too, but I’m glad you wrote the other before realizing the rest of the prompt. 😊
Wonderful God –
Voice lifted in jubilant song –
Wonderful God!
Giving Your life, shedding Your blood;
That we might live free from our wrong,
Always praising You all day long –
Wonderful God.
Wow! So beautiful. What a wonderful God indeed.
https://revivedwriter.wordpress.com/2021/06/17/evening-falling/
Thanks for the prompt, as always. <3
I write a lot of rondelets, although rarely to post. This will be fun. 🙂
Can’t wait to read what you write.
I had to participate in this challenge since it is a poetry form named after me.
https://ronrowland.com/cabin-in-the-woods/
Cabin in the Woods
A firefly knows
He is safe in the darkest night
A firefly knows
The light within is why he glows
Oh will I ever get it right
Jesus in me is my true light
A firefly knows
I’m not sure the title fits the poem, but this is what came out.
I love it. I think the title works because I can see you pondering this poem while sitting in the porch of a cabin watching fireflies.
I love that I could write about fireflies because last week in the middle of the night they were in my room dancing. It was so much fun, this light show they gave me.
We don’t have fireflies in Oregon. I think they would be much fun to watch. 😊
This was fun to write. https://suestrifles.wordpress.com/2021/06/12/rondelet-paint-chip-poetry-challenge/
I remember seeing fireflies in the evening when I lived in the country. They are beautiful.
Here’s my poem using “fig leaf”.
Cabin in the Woods
In fig leaf clothes
I pace the cabin’s floor today.
In fig leaf clothes
I worry in the woods. Who knows
the secret that I’ve lost my way?
But it all shows. I’m on display
in fig leaf clothes.
I like this a lot! Great rondelet.