Suzanne Brace is the Poet of the Week for W3 Weekly Poetry Prompt #78. Her prompt guidelines are below.
Suzanne’s prompt guidelines Share an emotion of yours in a “Dectina Refrain” poem. Dectina Refrain Ten lines; Syllabic: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10; The tenth line is comprised of the first four lines all together, as one stand-alone line in quotation marks. (Quotation marks are optional.)
I wrote my poem MERRY-GO-ROUND in response to Suzanne’s prompt to share an emotion. I shall let the poem speak the emotion’s name.
Merry-go-round
Ahh!
Oh no.
Do not go
without a kiss
Don’t leave us, like this.
Bid adieu thus!—with sighs,
with salty tears in your eyes,
and a goodbye wave of the hand.
Laugh! Life is a merry-go-round, and…
Ahh! Oh no. Do not go without a kiss.
Lesley Scoble, October 2023
Laugh! Life is a merry-go-round and…
NOTES
The Dectina Refrain
This form was invented by South African poet, Marion Friedenthal and named ‘Dectina Refrain’ by the English poet, Luke Prater.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Thank you, Suzanne, for your emotional prompt, and for introducing me to the Dectina Refrain poetry form. My thanks as always to David, The Skeptics Kaddish.

I dedicate this poem to all those close to me who “travelled to that undiscovered country, from whose bourn No traveller returns,” without saying goodbye.
Lesley lives in the City of London Square Mile. An artist, actor and sculptor (her first ceramic sculpture won the V&A inspired by… Award). Scenic artist & book illustrator, playwright, (her musical play, Rapscallion performed in inner city schools and theatre school); TV dancer; Animator and illustrator for TV production. Set up Pinecone Studios Ltd and IIMSI Ltd drama and filmmaking workshops in London – producing award-winning films made by children.







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