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Friday, August 15, 2025

Poetry Friday - Box Triolets

It's been a long time since I've written a poem for David Harrison's Word of the Month Poetry Challenge. The word for August is box.

I'm quite fond of the triolet, so that's the form I chose to write in. A triolet is an 8-line poem that uses only two rhymes throughout. Additionally, the first line is repeated in the fourth and seventh lines, while the second line is repeated in the final line. Because of this, only five different poetic lines are written.  The rhyme scheme for a triolet is ABaAabAB (where capital letters stand for repeated lines).

I tried several different box topcis, but finally landed on Pandora's box and cat in a box. I'm still working on a Schrödinger's cat poem, which I think would be funny, but I'm just not there yet. Here are the two poems I'm sharing today.


Pandora's Box Triolet
Pandora's box was opened wide
unleashing woes upon the land,
yet hope remained, a light inside
Pandora's box was opened wide
from its troubles we could not hide
but hope endured, our guiding hand
when Pandora's box was opened wide
unleashing woes upon the land


A cat in an empty box at rest
curled in a corner snug and tight 
where simple spaces feel the best
a cat in an empty box takes rest 
a quiet spot becomes a nest
in a cardboard world of pure delight 
a cat in an empty box at rest, 
curled in corner snug and tight. 

Poems ©Tricia Stohr-Hunt, 2025. All rights reserved.

I hope you'll take some time to check out all the wonderful poetic things being shared and collected today by Heidi Mordhorst at my juicy little universe. Happy poetry Friday all! 

6 comments:

  1. Tricia, your triolets are lovely. I enjoyed reading them again and again.

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  2. Cats and boxes. What's not to love. Our big orange cat has a box that is barely bigger than he is which is his comfort place (for now -- he has two others in various spots in the house that are needed for other specific purposes such as playing roughly with lots of biting or hiding by the front door).

    How fun that you are exploring both BOXES and triolets!

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  3. Tricia, I love the triolet concept and the way its repetition feels like casting a spell--but they are tricky to get right! Your first brings a glimmer of hope and your second a cozy snughug--can't wait for the Schrodinger triolet!

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  4. Both of your triolets are wonderful, Tricia, but I think I like the cat one best of all. They just can't resist those special hideouts, and you captured it well.

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  5. "Box" is a deceptively simple starting point — love that, and I love the two very different directions in which you took the prompt. Our cat Maisy can relate to a "cardboard world of pure delight." :) And a poem about Schrödinger's cat is a fantastic idea. I hope you'll share that one when you've finished it (or are at least happy with it!)

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  6. The triolet. I forget about that form. You make it look easy; I love how the repeated lines seem to have added meaning and flow so well into the body of your poems. I'm glad I happened by and saw your bit late Poetry Friday post, Tricia! P.S. my poetry swap is going to be way late! I haven't even got it in the mail yet, but soon!

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