30 Poems in 30 Days with 30 Forms
A definito is…
…a very fun creation from poet, passionate climate-activist, and writing coach Heidi Mordhorst who describes this poetic form as:
a free verse poem of 8-12 lines (aimed at readers 8-12 years old) that highlights wordplay as it demonstrates the meaning of a less common word, which always ends the poem.
In past posts, Heidi has questioned it as a poetic form (calling it more “an intention for a poem”). But it has caught on in the Poetry Friday community. Below is the first one I’ve tried.
governess: a definito
teacher-for-hire, tutor today
popular term back in the day for a
middle-class lady, distress-in-a-dress
hired for wealth she possessed
a live-in with a small salary
employee, not part of the family
to avoid distraction, hired them plain
her earnings, the servants’ disdain
then: no power, lonely, loverless
today: a female ruler is governess
©draft, Patricia J. Franz
Photo courtesy of JLibrary of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Gilbert H. Grosvenor Collection of Photographs of the Alexander Graham Bell Family, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-DIG-ppmsca-12345]
Patricia Franz writes picture books and poetry. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 