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Sketch of a Ketch: a quadrille

I wrote my poem SKETCH OF A KETCH for this week’s dVerse Quadrille Poetry Prompt, hosted by Michelle Beauchamp (Mish). Mish asks us to write a quadrille that includes the word sketch or a form of the word.
Quadrille?
A quadrille is a poem of just 44 words (not including the title).

Sketch of a Ketch

Sketch of a Ketch | Digital graphite pencil sketch©️Lesley Scoble
I sketched a ketch from the beach,
It was sailing by on a reach.
It sails into the wind with grace,
I drew fast—as in a race!
Where’s it sailing to out at sea?
It’s now on my paper—it sailed to me.

Lesley Scoble, November 2023

NOTES

The Ketch 
A ketch is a sailboat that has two masts. One main mast and a smaller mizzen mast at the rear. The ketch mizzen mast is aft of the boat and set before the ‘rudder head’ (where the tiller is to steer the boat). If it were aft of the rudder head, the boat would be a yawl.

Reach
The word ‘reach’ in the second line is a nautical term referring to the direction of the wind in relation to the boat’s course. ‘On a reach’ means the boat is sailing into the wind.
~
A 44 word limerick?
I first tried writing a limerick for this quadrille challenge. 
The one I wrote below has only thirty three words which disqualifies it as a quadrille.

What do you think of this quick sketch?
How much do you think it can fetch?
It’s very hard to say,
What anyone will pay,
For a sketch of a two masted ketch.

I then added eleven more words to make it up to the 44 words needed. Unfortunately, the limerick form doesn’t agree with extending the length of the lines. Here is my corrupted limerick with 44 words to fit the quadrille.

What do you think of this very quick sketch?
How much do you think it will it fetch?
It is very hard to say (I haven’t a clue).
What anyone sane will pay. Have you?
For a rapid sketch of a two masted ketch.
~
Painting en plein air on a beach
Once upon a time I sailed in regattas at sea. I took a break one day and sat on a beach in Cornwall painting en Plein air. I painted a colourful scene of regatta sails just offshore. A man approached and asked, how much? I said, fifty quid. Then, bish, bash, bosh! I made a sale. I hope they put it in a pretty frame.
~

Thank you Michelle Beauchamp (Mish) for this super sketchy d’Verse Poetry Prompt #190. Please can you line me up with an Amber Cocktail at the bar? If that’s not possible, may I have a G&T? Cheers!

Post Script

Since publishing this post, I found an old photo of the little 6 in x 8 en plein-air oil sketch of the sailing regatta I painted on a Cornish beach.

Old photo of 6” x 8” en plein air oil sketch of the sailing regatta that I painted on a Cornish beach.

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.

lesleyscoble

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32 responses to “Sketch of a Ketch: a quadrille”

  5. Nice! Thank you for sharing the interesting information as well. Now I know what a “ketch” is. It was fun to see the process of extending your limerick to fit the prompt and I also loved the idea of the ketch sailing to you. I left you an Amber cocktail at the bar. 😉 Cheers!

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  11. I love your quadrille, Lesley, and the ending is an enchanting surprise… and makes so much sense: after all, you were sketching what you saw, until it was gone… then there it was, on the page!

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