Welcome to the pub for Quadrille Monday! Michelle Beauchamp (Mish) here as your host. Let me find you a comfy seat for virtual beverages, nibbles and poetry. If you haven’t joined in before, our mission for this prompt is to write a poem of any style that is exactly 44 words, not including the title. Your quadrille must contain one given word or a form of the word. The word I have chosen is…….

Miriam Webster defines the word here:

noun

1. a: a rough drawing representing the chief features of an object or scene and often made as a preliminary study b: a tentative draft (as for a literary work), 2. a brief description (as of a person) or outline, 3 a: a short literary composition somewhat resembling the short story and the essay but intentionally slight in treatment, discursive in style, and familiar in tone, b: a short instrumental composition usually for piano, c: a slight theatrical piece having a single scene, especially a comic variety (sketch 2 of 2)

verb

sketched; sketching; sketches

: to make a sketch, rough draft, or outline of, to draw or paint a sketch

Here are some ideas to play with – cross sketch, sketch it out, sketch something in, thumbnail sketch, sketchpad, sketchbook, sketchy, sketchiness, re-sketch or create your own hyphenated word if you like.

If you’re as old as me you probably remember the Etch-A-Sketch! I was surprised that this vintage toy is still available for sale today. Here are some fun facts from Wikipedia:

“The Etch A Sketch was introduced near the peak of the Baby Boom on 12 July 1960 for $2.99 (equivalent to $30 in 2022). It went on to sell 600,000 units that year and is one of the best known toys of that era. In 1998, it was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong, in Rochester, New York. In 2003, the Toy Industry Association named Etch A Sketch one of the 100 most memorable toys of the 20th century. The Etch A Sketch has since sold over 100 million units worldwide.”

Switching gears to a lovely poem by children’s author and poet, Amy Ludwig Vanderwater. It had me counting words as it was only one short of a quadrille.

So are you ready to do the Q? Sketch me a poem of any style that follows the rules above!

Here’s how to join in:

• Write a quadrille as described and post it on your blog or website.
• Enter your name and direct link to your poem in Mr. Linky.
• Follow the links to other poets. Read, comment and come back for more as the prompt is open all week.
• Kindly provide a link to dVerse so others can find us too.
• Drop into the pub to say hello.
• Enjoy!