Theme Up for a Ghazal?

The ghazal consists of couplets, built around a chosen refrain. Each instance of the refrain is preceded by the rhyme. So, if your line ends "with suspicious minds," you'll need to think of rhymes to put before that phrase:

We can't go on together with suspicious minds.
We'll brave the summer weather with suspicious minds.

After the first couplet, where both lines have the rhyme and the refrain, you employ the rhyme and refrain on the second line only. So:

We'll fly to Scotland, amble through the highlands,
Go traipsing through the heather with suspicious minds.

We'll be like goats at the end of our rope,
Straining at the tether with suspicious minds.

And so on. It is a custom of the ghazal to "sign your work" with your final couplet:

Folks look at wee Tommo. They greet his claim
That he's light as a feather with suspicious minds.

It's tricky, but perhaps an illustration will help!



one trick pony


girl crazy

 

lisa, of the six brothers, six years gone

first graders in love, now she's gone

 

janet in second, blonde hair, blue eyes

round of cheek, sweet of smile, now she's gone

 

pam, what can i say, smitten i was

in fourth (and fifth) grade, now she's gone

 

ellen in sixth, those grey eyes still haunt

married a professor, so i heard, now she's gone

 

debbie, that was a mistake, not even a kiss

i have to admit, i don't mind that she's gone

 

julie, i sigh, got me through high school

then we moved on, such is life, now she's gone

 

e, age and time told us it cannot be

not in this realm, at least, now she’s gone

 

terri, robin, talana, annie and gail, serial monogamy

that was my game, now they're all gone

 

ah lynn, falling and falling, until now, marketa

you are forever, the others—now they're all gone

 

 

 

 

 





Poetry By one trick pony The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 474 times
Written 2020-08-09 12:51

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MetaPoetics The PoetBay support member heart!
This freestyle ghazal was a delightful read. I like the refrain "now she's gone" and how it reinforces the meaning each time.
2020-08-14

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TITLE   BY
(2) together with heavy hearts   arquious The PoetBay support member heart!
Summer Rain   Uncle Meridian The PoetBay support member heart!
(2) English 101   Uncle Meridian The PoetBay support member heart!
(3) Done to Death   Uncle Meridian The PoetBay support member heart!
(5) I Did Not Fail   LacyxDevine
(2) Ghazal   Uncle Meridian The PoetBay support member heart!
(6) Dry   Lady Courtaire
(4) Fitspo   Inspired
(1) WITH SUPICIOUS MINDS   ken d williams The PoetBay support member heart!