When I Was Young

Swap Quatrain

Spent childhood days along the shore,

turned cherished mem'ries to adore.

Imagination set ablaze,

along the shore, spent childhood days.

Soft golden sand, 'lil footprints trail,

whilst swaying plastic yellow pail;

a mighty fortress castle planned ...

'lil footprints trail soft golden sand.

Now, anchored tight, a pirate ship,

who's sneaky bandits nightly slip ...

steal treasures; quickly reunite

a pirate ship now anchored tight.

'Tween cresting waves, fair mermaids swim,

long auburn tresses glint 'n shim,

flash pearly smiles; then, misbehaves ...

fair mermaids swim 'tween cresting waves.

Soon shall ensnare strange ocean pest,

humped Loch Ness monster's oft' possessed!

Quick surfacing, without a care,

strange ocean pest shall soon ensnare.

So, gently step amongst sea shells,

sweet music of vast ocean dwells;

dance happily in timely rep ...

amongst sea shells, so gently step.

Bright, grateful smile, as sunset spills,

imagination full of thrills;

along the shore lives for awhile,

as sunset spills bright grateful smile.

Alas, tides shift, those charmed days gone,

yearned cherished memories hold on;

a childhood blessed, once precious gift,

those charmed days gone, alas, tides shift!

Author's Note

Thank you Richard W. Jenkins for introducing me to this form!

Swap Quatrain

Attributed to Lorraine M. Kanter

Within the Swap Quatrain each stanza in the poem must be a quatrain (four lines)

where the first line is separated at the fourth syllable and reversed in the fourth line.

In addition, line 2 must rhyme with line 1, and line 3 must rhyme with line 4 and so on, and no limit

to number of stanzas, BUT must not repeat the same rhyming pattern on subsequent stanzas.

Eight syllables per line. Rhyming pattern: AabB, CcdD, and so on.

Reviews

[Levi Levin]

Great job of lassoing the precious memories of the past!

[Susan 🦋]

Thank you kindly Levi!

[Levi Levin]

Your welcome my friend!!!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

the reversal works so well in this...you do the style so well here.
this takes me back to my younger days in NY and our excursions to Rye Beach...and to my imagination as I built things in the sand, and watched out in the water for those pirate ships or sea monsters to arrive...
I saw them, i am sure.
j.

[Susan 🦋]

Happy this brought a smile to your face!.. yes, pretty sure my kids saw that monster too ;-) Thanks for the review!