A Quadrille was a popular dance in the 18th and 19th centuries, performed by four couples in a square formation representing the sides of the square. (Quad = four). While I’m not asking that you dance your way through this form, I am inviting you to write a Quarille.
A Quadrille is a poem that consists of 44 words, no more/no less. You could infuse meter or not. You could introduce rhyme, or not! As long as it is 44 words, you’re golden.
The Quadrille was introduced to me by our friends over at dVerse Poets Pub and is a regular feature there on alternate Mondays (with the Haibun)!
This Lewis Carroll poem is NOT a quadrille poem as described. It is more about the dance. It was just such a fun read, I included it here!
The Lobster-Quadrille
by Lewis Carroll
Will you walk a little faster?’ said a whiting to a snail,
‘There’s a porpoise close behind us, and he’s treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle — will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?
‘You can really have no notion how delightful it will be
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!’
But the snail replied ‘Too far, too far!’ and gave a look askance —
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.
‘What matters it how far we go?’ his scaly friend replied.
‘There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.
The further off from England the nearer is to France —
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won’t you, will you, won’t you, won’t you join the dance?
Won’t you join the dance and write a Quadrille?
POETIC BLOOMINGS 
Responses
I love writing these little quadrilles, so thanks for another opportunity.
7:15
Coffee is made. Plates on the table.
Radio’s on, but silence takes over.
The dog sniffs the air; falls back
to sleep. A morning cough from upstairs,
emptying lungs of sleep. Rain drips
from the gutter as I sip coffee.
Silence never tasted so good.
.
© Misky 2016
Wow. I think this little gem is lullaby-like, and I don’t even like coffee.
I luuuuurv coffee!
I’m there…see it, hear it, smell it, taste it…and it feels good
I’m glad. 😀
Here the sun drips from limp-flagged poles but we still enjoy our coffee, the silence stippled with cricket-song. LOVE this slow-dance!
I’m delighted to hear that, Janet. Thank you.
A perfect start to the day, rain not withstanding, Marilyn!
I am in complete agreement!
My first quadrille to read Misky, and I think you did an excellent job. Silence never tasted so good. You set the bar high. I will have to drink my coffee before I can write mine.
Early morning, coffee and silence… what more could one ask for?
Titillating Titles
Our grandparents counted years by scores, money by bits.
Now we measure our data by gigabytes and bits.
“Mind your P’s and Q’s,” was our parent’s admonition.
Monikers versus labels, vintage or current revision,
It’s good to know a rose is still a rose.
Yes, although, these days, I feel them to make sure.
lol! ain’t that the truth!
yes!
alos good to know that a good quadrille is still a good quadrille…like this one
Thanks Daniel, thats high praise coming from such a word artist as you..
Thank goodness there are a few things we can still count on!
And by any other name smells as sweet! Wonderful attempt, Iris! You nailed it!
Great topic for a quadrille!
WHAT’S SO FUNNY?
I had a thought today.
A thought that the world
was playing a cruel and
vicious joke. And I spoke
this thought out loud
and a crowd formed.
En mass they cried,
“We don’t get it!”
Neither did I!
Guess it just wasn’t funny!
© Walter J. Wojtanik – 2016
This could apply to some of the stuff we hear at election times, methinks.
oh my…so clear and so complete
I could here Jay Leno’s side-kick hit the drums with the last line;-))
So true!!
Yeah, I don’t get that joke either.
I’m with the don’t gets.
AN EYE ON THE SPARROW
I found the sparrow
lying on its back,
buffy brown, dingy gray,
wounded wing revving flightless.
Gently I lifted the bird
(boy and sparrow staring eye-to-eye)
and carried it home
where it mended.
Can we keep it?
Mama said No.
Let it fly free.
#
Wonderful. A short story in those 44 words.
perfect title to deepen the meaning of this poem!
Sweet. Made me think of an old Andy Griffith show.
The purest love, Salvatore. Caring is caring and this was sweetly written. Mama was very wise. She rubbed off on you!
No wonder you are bright and compassionate, Sal.
STILL, WITH CLASPED HANDS
Outside her bedroom window
the world was closing down.
Once the smoke of bombs cleared,
she’d see a leveled city
reduced to rubble.
Still, with clasped hands, she prayed
this nightmare would end.
When she opened her eyes,
she saw a new sun rising.
#
This is timeless, in my opinion.
across many generations
yes!
Hope arises.
Living with hope… in today’s political climate it is nearly easy to give up but I’m reminded of a quote:
“To despair is to turn your back on God.” Mirella, Anne of Green Gables
Always hopeful. New sun = new day. Strong piece, my friend.
If we do not take care of our planet, maybe the sun will turn its back on us. Beautiful poem, Sal.
Picture This
Scenes form magically
God’s hand at work
No two alike
Once gone, gone forever
Unless they are captured
By luck or on purpose
A camera takes focus
Scene framed up
Awaiting the press
Of the shutter button
Eye hand coordination
Quick click
Picture this
© Earl Parsons
This makes me think of the sometimes cumbersome ways that “smart” phones devise for taking pictures. It seems to me that a true camera, with a shutter button, is faster and thus better for eye-hand co-ordination.
I don’t know how you can be so consistently good, living in that oppressive heat
Heat?
What heat?
‘Tis the norm down here
It’s always hot
This time of year
Sometimes it’s hotter
Sometimes we roast
Such is life along
The Emerald Coast
We don’t like snow
Or a blizzard’s blow
We like flip-flops
Shorts and tank tops
Y’all
Hah!
No two alike! never thought of it like that. love this combo of wit and wisdom.
I especially like ” by luck or on purpose.”
I hate having my picture taken but still I want the grandkids to see us together after I’m gone so they can “picture this” Lovely work
Do we capture the same images with the heart? With the mind’s eye? The wonder of creation stays with us! Good one, Earl!
STRATEGY
My cat looked out
and saw a bird
on the other side
of the window pane;
she did not pout
(the idea is absurd)
but arched her hide
and commenced to complain.
She bothered me so
that I let her go
to pester sparrows.
aw, what a nice guy
I can always count on your poetry for a smile! once again, stellar!
Poor sparrows. At least they can fly away.
Oh you “wicked” man! Pestering sparrows! Not to worry, Will. I’d have done the same!
You have my grin with this one, William.
Walt, this form, if it can be called that, sound like a lot of fun, mainly in the freedom it permits within the 44 words.
By the way, I meant to thank you for all the work you put into the recent PAD. Your devotion to poetry and poets is so impressive.
Hear! Hear! yes. thank-you!
Amen! and amen!!
Absolutely. Thank you, Walt
Oh, me too Walt!!
Fall of ’67
It’s o-dark-thirty, I’m flying,
death surely on its way,
I see my mother,
dead nine years.
I am no longer matter.
Go back, you can’t stay,
still work for you,
important matters.
Easy now to understand,
the work is peace,
all that really matters.
I commented on this at Poetic Asides, and it goes double here. Wonderful.
thanks….isn’t it grand when a poem fits at the sites which feature two poet laureates
It’s o-dark-thirty…love it! The work is peace. profound.
Still work to do… good thoughts here
An experience that we embrace and live each day in thankful prayer, Daniel! All the really matters, matters! Happy you’re here to tell the tale!
I love that line, ‘I am no longer matter.’
There is a mystic meter to life’s moments
As they run like glints of sand
Through Mercy’s Hand
To phantom lands
Of Done
Let’s
Linger
Longer, Darling,
Mosey slower through
This day before the door
To Never More soft snuffs its gold to gray
Wow. This is heart-melting. Perhaps oddly, it reminds me of Johnny Mercer’s lyric in Days of Wine and Roses.
A kind thank-you. Since Tony Bennet turns 90 today I am listening to his version:)
He probably has sen many such days.
oh yes!
perfection
Closing line is priceless.
“Let’s
Linger
Longer, Darling,
Mosey slower through
This day”….. Oh, yes, just beautiful, Janet
Oh, Janet! this is totally superb! I love the wording and their play against each other. You give everything such a classic feel. I’m pleased with your work always!
Beautiful opening line, and it continues living up to its beginning.
A Moment of Ecstasy
A renegade mood seized me
I ditched the façade of dignity
shed my shoes and danced
in the dewy grass pranced
with a twirl and pirouette.
A pretty, pastoral vignette
like lambs kicking their heels,
lasses doing cartwheels
just for the joy they feel.
this feels like a quadrille…love the imagery ‘with a twirl and pirouette.’ ‘ lambs kicking their heels’ and ‘lasses doing cartwheels’.
Love the incorporated rhymes and the flow of this marvelous piece, Debi!
Exuberant dance. Impossible to read this and not finish with a smile and light heart.
Absolutely!
What a fun quadrille, Debi!
Permanent Snowbird
Raised in the cold of Northern Maine
Used the Air Force for my escape
After Okinawa, Japan and Hawaii
No more yearning for the cold
Tried South Dakota for just one year
Too cold up there, so moved down here
I’m a permanent Snowbird
© Earl Parsons
Seems I heard this story before, Earl! 😉 Great memoir!
Cloudy With a Chance of Dreams
We blew shiny bubbles
into the air
that floated far beyond
our reach
carrying dreams
with them
they disappeared
into the summer clouds
where they
waved back at us
until
the sun
burst them with a
gentle “pop”
and dreams rained
down on us
A bright forecast
What great imagery of bubbles carrying dreams into the summer clouds and the sun popping them to rain dreams.
Raining dreams is so perfect! Love this, Candy!
This reminds me of “ice-cream castles in the air.” Love it.
A lovely forecast, indeed!
Only Fooling
Cheshire Cat’s grin floated
through trees, faded.
Neither teeth nor body
reappeared. Red Queen
was feared. “Impossible,”
said White Rabbit. “How
could she catch him?”
Hunt was on. Alice came
upon stripe, and soon cat
materialized. He had coaxed
dormouse into hide and seek.
(Sorry to be so late!)
Sometimes later is better…like this cutie
Yes. Big grin here.
No time to say Hello, goodbye, I’m late, I’m late, I’m late. I had no doubt our “Alice” would venture there!
Always enjoy Alicecapades. Smiling!
Thanks, all. I am glad you enjoyed it. Walt, you knew this was too tempting for Alice to resist!
Uplifting
U nderneath a canopy of clouds
P uffing with a dragon’s breath, a hot-air balloon,
L ifts us high
I n a large wicker basket
F loating quietly, peacefully
T raveling along over the town
I look up
N odding to the
G od of Heaven with a wink and a smile.
This well conveys an idyllic picture. Wonderful.
HOW TO STRETCH A QUADRILLE
Use some hyphenated words
among your forty-four words
and make mental merry-go-rounds
of devil-may-care brain-draining sounds
composed of up-to-the-minute beats
and proffering better-late-than-never treats
so red-blooded readers enjoy
the long-winded constructions employed.
Can a hyphenated word
count as one word?
Just ask Microsoft Word.
hah!
How fun William. Just ask Microsoft.!!
Good one.
Shhhh! A magician never divulges his secrets! 😉
W’s QUADRILLE
Will you, won’t you join the dance?
Won’t you, will you take the chance?
Would you, could you use your words,
write some poems (quite absurd)?
Will you take the steps you need?
Won’t you join us? Plant your seed?
Will you? Won’t you?
© Walter J. Wojtanik – 2016
Everyone should share this beauty on their favorite socials
The sounds in this piece are enticing and entrancing. Lovely.
[…] Quadrille shared at Poetic Bloomings – Inform Poets: Quadrille […]
Perfect quadrille. Sums up the garden and planters, nicely.