Pantoum Poetry – Park Bench Seat
Have you sat on my bench seat
Before all the undergrowth took over
Mothers would sit on me nursing babies
Some would even feed a child
Before all the undergrowth took over
Men would stop and talk to the mothers
Some would even feed a child
Young lovers would enjoy sitting on me
Men would stop and talk to the mothers
Some were angry and shouted
Young lovers would enjoy sitting on me
Even they were angry at times
Some were angry and shouted
Birds would stop and perch on top of me
Even they were angry at times
But no one ever cleaned me
Birds would come and perch on me
Mothers would sit on me nursing babies
But no one ever cleaned me
Have you ever sat on my bench seat.
How to Write a Pantoum Poetry
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 stanza, then 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