P is for Pantoum

The pantoum consists of a series of quatrains rhyming ABAB in which the second and fourth lines of a quatrain recur as the first and third lines in the succeeding quatrain; each quatrain introduces a new second rhyme as BCBC, CDCD. The first line of the series recurs as the last line of the closing quatrain, and third line of the poem recurs as the second line of the closing quatrain, rhyming ZAZA.

The design is simple:

Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Line 4

Line 5 (repeat of line 2)
Line 6
Line 7 (repeat of line 4)
Line 8

Continue with as many stanzas as you wish, but the ending stanzathen repeats the second and fourth lines of the previous stanza (as its first and third lines), and also repeats the third line of the first stanza, as its second line, and the first line of the first stanza as its fourth. So the first line of the poem is also the last.

Last stanza:

Line 2 of previous stanza
Line 3 of first stanza
Line 4 of previous stanza
Line 1 of first stanza

I’m going to tell you how
I lost my inheritance
Went to Las Vegas and wow
Kept on betting till I’m dunce

I lost my inheritance
Great feeling when I’ve won
Kept on betting till I’m dunce
All temptations till I’m done

Great feeling when I’ve won
I kept coming back for more
All temptations till I’m done
Won’t touch any roulette I swore

I kept coming back for more
Went to Las Vegas and wow
Won’t touch any roulette I swore
I’m going to tell you how

(c) ladyleemanila 2017

For: First Line Friday 14.04.17, #AtoZChallenge – 4-19-2017 – Letter P