Poetry Friday: Tritina

Art by E.F.

It’s been a minute, and I’m glad to be back! I missed this Poetry Friday community and the ritual of the weekly sharing of poetry.

I wrote this poem with two purposes in mind. First of all, my niece sent the beautiful artwork that illustrates my poem. To honor her gift, I wanted to write a poem in response. Secondly, this is Poetry Sister challenge week. So I wrote a tritina. As Cousin Tanita describes, “this less restrictive younger sibling of the sestina uses three repeated words to end three tercets. The order of word-endings for the tercets are 123, 312, 231, with a final line acting as the envoi, featuring all three words in the 1-2-3 order used in the first stanza. Additionally, we’ll continuing with our theme of poetry in conversation, in whatever way that is individually defined.” My poem is in conversation with E’s artwork.

I’m not sure how many of the Sisters will be able to join in this week, but here they are just in case:

Tanita @ {fiction, instead of lies}
Laura @ Laura Purdie Salas
Tricia @ The Miss Rumphius Effect
Sara @ Read Write Believe
Liz @ Liz Garton Scanlon

Amy has this week’s Poetry Friday roundup at The Poem Farm.

15 thoughts on “Poetry Friday: Tritina”

  2. Oh, well done! You have chosen such a lovely trio of words, and you’ve incorporated an effortless narrative tone without seeming to be repeating them. Perhaps I need to try writing backwards from the envoi – if I know where I want to get to maybe it’ll be easier to navigate the sort of circular part of getting there.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. This poem is a lovely dream. I hope we can get there. I’m not ready or willing to give up yet. Just yesterday I attended the grand opening of UR’s orchard and food forest. In small ways, we are trying.

    Thanks for sharing this poem. I needed it today.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Welcome home! I’m delighted that you’ve had a chance to go out into the world to experience, learn, and gather ideas for new writing. This form is a challenge! I started to try and gave up too quickly. I may get back to it at some point. Illustrating kid art is such a heart-song. I love it!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. Our world is, indeed beloved, and your poem coupled with your niece’s artwork remind me that we must work for those we love. Thank you both for this hope. I cannot help but wonder and hope if we will see more collaborations between the two of you. xo, a.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. Mary Lee, you did me the kindness of saying that the form became invisible in my tritina (I didn’t think so, but thanks again for that.) 🙂 In yours, it’s really, truly true. 🙂

    This just … flows. So beautifully. I don’t hear repetition, but rather blooming, building, a burting forth. Beautifully done!

    Like

    Reply

  12. Welcome back from your glorious travels, Mary Lee! (I missed much of the summer myself and really missed PF). What a wonderful gift of artwork from your niece, and your response. The variety in these poems is amazing this week! After reading Amy’s “new you” post and poem, your poem expands my horizon even more, thinking we have it in our power as a world community to make a “new world.” Sigh. We have to keep marching toward that. xo

    Like

    Reply

  14. Oh, Mary Lee. This brought tears to my eyes. What a dream indeed. ALSO, I think you win the award for the most naturally readable — I read it aloud in such an easy, flowy rush… I LOVE this poem.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment