Plaiting her hair at the end of each day
a soothing ritual she likes to play.
The smoothness of her hair like silk
is twined by fingers the color of milk.
A flower she sometimes weaves so gay
Absentmindedly brushing aside a stray
Her mind is distracted with thoughts she weighs
so she clears her wits from this type of ilk,
Plaiting her hair
Her life is fair in her grand chalet,
passing time with the art of crochet,
and wearing the most luxurious silk,
yet stifled she feels and ready to bilk.
Sometimes it’s hard to hide her dismay,
Plaiting her hair
Join us today at dVerse Poets where I’m hosting Open Link Night: http://dversepoets.com/2015/10/15/dverse-poets-open-link-night-158/#comment-101700
Bodhirose's Blog 
kanzensakura
/ October 15, 2015The rhythm of this reads like plaiting hair, weaving that braid. A beautiful form this is and you do it so very well. At first, I thought you were writing about your granddaughter. And when it felt s familiar, I realized it was like at night when I braid my hair – white hair that was so black. Sometimes I too bilk at the calm and ordinary of days and wish for a bit of wildness. I like this poem so much!
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Glenn Buttkus
/ October 15, 2015Wildness, like our inner child & madness is always within us (like the godhead energy), right there bend the first star to the left, anxious to be loosed from its short leash. Form poetry is trumping free verse 8 to 1 out here on the trail nowadays; cool.
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Sanaa Rizvi
/ October 15, 2015I adore the flow & rhythm of this exquisite piece 😀
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yelena
/ October 15, 2015beautiful, Gayle..
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015Hi Yelena…thanks so much.
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Björn Rudberg (brudberg)
/ October 15, 2015Oh.. it was a long time since I tried a rondeau.. there is something that remind me of an Ibsen play in this, a Victorian woman in her prison of silk, and how well it works with the classic form..
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015I had that same vision of a Victorian woman too, Bjorn. Thanks for coming by.
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Grace
/ October 15, 2015What a lovely form, and I specially like the refrain of plaiting the hair ~ The ritual is soothing indeed and one can be absent minded about thoughts to fight off the gray and sadness of life ~
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015Right you are, Grace…your mind can certainly wander. And thanks much.
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Victoria C. Slotto
/ October 15, 2015This has such a smooth flow to it. In a way, it tells a story, paint a portrait of a character as much as a physical description. Nicely done.
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015Thanks, Victoria. Yes, there’s a story with that woman.
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Grace Black
/ October 15, 2015Always enjoy being exposed to different forms. This is quite dreamy and lyrical. Lovely!
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015I’m very glad you liked this, Grace…thanks so much.
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Mary
/ October 15, 2015I can really picture her absent-mindedly plaiting her hair. I picture this ritual as being comforting for her. I see her as late middle-aged, all alone, thinking that life has passed her by. Really beautifully descriptive writing, Gayle.
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thotpurge
/ October 15, 2015Very vivid…an everyday scene portrayed with just the right touches..can feel the angst of the woman there.
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015Thanks so much, Thot. Yes, she’s angst-y.
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katiemiafrederick
/ October 15, 2015i see my mother here.. no longer
driving in her 60’s.. residing inside
never venturing much further
than a book or crochet..
in her 80’s now..
it makes her
happy..
and it
is still enough
for her.. peace
of mind lives
in a many
stranded
way of Life
i guess..
horizons high
horizons low
as peace
i’m sure..:)
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Madeleine Begun Kane
/ October 15, 2015Well done! I enjoyed your use of rhyme!
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015Thanks, Madeleine.
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D.C. Lutz
/ October 15, 2015Thanks for sharing this Gayle. Great flow and I loved the image it gave me.
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015Well, thank you, D.C.
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Abhra
/ October 16, 2015wow, the plaiting of hair could talk about so many inner feelings. A powerful write…
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015Thank you, Abhra. Yes, while plaiting your hair your mind is free to wander.
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Prajakta
/ October 16, 2015It reminded me of a story I had written long back. Braiding my hair drew an analogy with mixed thoughts of wanting freedom. This is perfect.
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015Thanks, Prajakta…perfect is good! 😉
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MarinaSofia
/ October 16, 2015A Lady of Shallott analogy springs to mind here, but also something familiar to me (the chalet was the word that did it for me). The plight of expat wives (that so many envy), stuck in a country they don’t know, with a language they don’t speak, far away from friends, feeling utterly alone and objectified, not knowing what to do with themselves.
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015I understand the scenario you describe, Marina. No fun. Thanks for coming by.
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kaykuala h
/ October 16, 2015Plaiting her hair can be so absorbing to the detriment of other activities at hand!
Hank
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015I would agree, Hank! 🙂
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petrujviljoen
/ October 16, 2015i could just see her thinking about all sorts of things.
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015Yes, she’s doing a lot of thinking. 😉
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Sherry Marr
/ October 16, 2015I love the rhythm of this, and the story.
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015Thanks, Sherry.
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Hope
/ October 16, 2015beautifully written! thank you!
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Bodhirose
/ October 16, 2015And thank you, Hope…I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
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mishunderstood
/ October 16, 2015I really liked the choice of rhyme…”milk, ilk, bilk, silk “.
Perhaps she is semi content in her day dreamy world. 🙂
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Bodhirose
/ October 17, 2015Thank you, Mish. I think she’s semi content too…it’s not all bad. 🙂
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lupitatucker
/ October 17, 2015I am a huge fan of rondeaus, Gayle, and I think you have written a good one here. I too thought that at first you were speaking of her granddaughter’s hair, but after two readings I understood that it is her own hair. It takes on a tone of melancholy that the rondeau echoes beautifully.
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Bodhirose
/ October 17, 2015Thank you, Lupita. It was fun to give it a try. It’s interesting to me how often a topic will show up for a particular form…as if they were meant to be together.
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lupitatucker
/ October 17, 2015Yes! That is a good argument for learning forms, and becoming a better poet in the process.
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Bodhirose
/ October 17, 2015I so agree! 🙂
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Bryan Ens
/ October 19, 2015I love the Rondeau form. Although challenging to pull off due to the limited rhymes, it is a very effective form when done well…and you have done well indeed!
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Bodhirose
/ October 19, 2015Thank you, Bryan! I like this one too…I think maybe my second one.
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