A Happy Home

Swap Quatrain

There is a house around the bend,

Quick sneak a peek! I'd recommend.

( dismiss soft squeaks from country mouse)

Around the bend there is a house.

Smooth cobblestones soon beckon me,

as mossy trails grow wild 'n free.

Majestic queen in multi-tones,

soon beckon me, smooth cobblestones.

Glass windows stained mosaic hues,

cast tantalizing spark'ling views.

Victorian pizzazz ingrained …

Mosaic hues, glass windows stained.

Each spandrel wraps wood porch encased,

'pon corbels jutting, interlaced.

Grid latticework trim, overlaps

wood porch encased, each spandrel wraps.

Steep turrets rise as archway looms,

soon grasping braided ivy blooms.

Remarkable charm, I surmise,

as archway looms, steep turrets rise.

Adornments placed 'neath roofing crest,

when architecture's finely dressed.

Knob finials stand firmly braced,

'neath roofing crest adornments placed.

Bright mornings' sun shall soon bewitch

as rambling roses find their niche.

An English garden, so well done!

Shall soon bewitch bright mornings' sun.

Her beauty beams throughout the day,

My neighborhood queen on display.

Enchanted dollhouse shaping dreams,

throughout the day, her beauty beams.

This happy home, she's grinning bright!

( I must admit, her smiles delight)

Around the bend, again, I'll roam …

She's grinning bright, this happy home!

Author's Note

A few blocks from my home is an old Victorian house. I often walk past it just to enjoy her charm... and gardens.
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.
As always, open to suggestions. Thanks for reading. :-)

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

The Victorians and the Georgians certainly gifted some grand architecture. I live in an area where some of these homes still exist. Most of them now turned into apartments because they would be too costly to upkeep these days. Magnificent and ornate. You have described their fairy take appearance so well here Susan. Your poem has much charm, is well crafted as all your work is and the form is an interesting one. Love your chosen posted image too. Have a lovely Sunday.

Chris

[Susan 🦋]

Well Chris, it certainly will be a lovely Sunday after reading this review! Thank you so much!!

[roniO]

I love your descriptive poetry. Visual pictures are galore.
They say a picture paints a thousand words, but I'm sure your words paint a few more.

[M.E.Lyle]

What a wonderful description of a wonderful old house. This reminds me of Lucy Maude Montgomery. She lived near her Aunt's home, which she adored. She spent many hours in that house. She called it Green Gables. She even wrote a best selling novel about it. I'm sure you know what novel I'm talking about. It wasn't really about Green Gables, as you are well aware, but about a precocious little girl named Anne Shirley.

[Susan 🦋]

Thank you for reading and reviewing! These old houses have so much charm! I’ve heard of the series, though I have never read any of the books. They sound wonderful 😊

[M.E.Lyle]

Avoid the Anne with an E series on NetFlix. It's a total disaster. The 1985 series with Megan Fellows is great.

[William Michael Reeves]

As a carpenter who has actually built a few turrets I loved all your architectural references. Turrets are bewitching to build, as are arches. I like how you portray a home as a dream.

Maybe I better stop reading you. Richard sent me a list of 10 forms he wants to teach me, but I'm not supposed to research them first. This form is one of them. I'll just pretend I didn't see anything about form and just enjoy the poem you built with words ... and dreams!

[Susan 🦋]

Hi Bill, thanks again for another review!! I'm so happy you appreciate all my architectural references! Ummmm 10?? :-) just wait...he gave me 50!

[William Michael Reeves]

50!!! I guess I better keep my pen warmed up. Poetry is so vast!

[Robert Haigh]

A finely stitched poetic piece, eloquently Expressed. Well penned!

[Susan 🦋]

Thank you Robert for taking the time to read and review! I do appreciate your kind words 😊

[Lisasview]

I read this about a week ago and then got busy and forgot to leave a review... Then I just read again and oh dear!!! I read this before..
I loved it then and I love it now..
Great art work to go along with your words.
Never heard of swamp Quatrains before..so interesting.
Richard is a wonder!!!!
Ahhh, the Victorian age..
Lisa, late in Spain

[Susan 🦋]

Hi Lisa! Thank you for taking the time to read and review. I love old Victorian houses… there is such a charm about them. You should give the form a try. Swap Quatrains are wonderful and I enjoy the repetition. I feel it lends itself very well to light and descriptive poetry. Thanks again 💐

[Lisasview]

You are most welcome..and yes, I will give it a try..
Lisa

[Aluppi Jampur]

Those old Victorians are gorgeous.
Loved the poem.

[Susan 🦋]

They really are, aren't they? Thanks for reading!

[Davidgeo]

Your face/faces are so attractive that they f**k up what responses you were hoping to get.

I know, it doesn't make sense. Why do two gorgeous women make things less appealing?

That seems to be the poetry world on the internest.

[Susan 🦋]

Why don’t you try this again Ddav. The photo is of me and my daughter.

[Einstein Noodle]

well done! i have such admiration for your work, Susan. the challenge and hard work to fit the themes, scents and pictures into a strict form and end up with something "natural" is no easy task .. i love Victorian homes .. enjoyed the education on their parts as well as this delightful stroll past your favorite home in the hood. :)
E.

[Susan 🦋]

Thank you so much for your kind words! They are really quite heart felt and something I needed to read today. I am so happy you enjoyed this…I really did have fun writing it 😊 I love old Victorian homes. They really do have so much charm.

[Katarzyna Anna Koziorow..]

Thank you for giving me a chance to read your poem! Reading brought me great pleasure. I have nothing to complain about your work. I wish you only beautiful works and endless motivation!

[Susan 🦋]

Well thank you for taking the time to read and review! I do appreciate it! 🍀