The other day, I went walking with a friend on a nearby trail, the colorful leaves crunching beneath our sneakers. We were talking about the beauty of fall, pointing out this and that as we went along. The thought of a poem in the form of “This and That” played on my mind. So, I went home and wrote this poem in simple rhyme.

This unique version of a This and That poem with distinct rules and irreverent English was created by poet and children’s author Danna Smith in 2020 on her blog, poetrypop.com. The rules are simple:

• Write four rhyming stanzas (16 lines total) (ABCB rhyme scheme).
• Alternate the words This and That at the beginning of each line.
• Throw proper English out the window (ah, that feels nice for a change!). Feel free to twist words, and use incomplete sentences (i.e., this bend of branches). You have permission to be totally free with your placement of words.

It’s the combination of creative sentences and imagery that makes this type of poem such fun to write (and read!). The This and That format works for any occasion. Think new baby, engagement, birthday, wedding, illness, gardening…you name it.

THIS AND THAT FOR ALL SEASONS

I had so much fun with this, I thought it would be fun to try this same “this and that” style for the other seasons. Stay tuned for This and That (Winter) in December and more in spring and summer.

THANKS FOR POPPING IN

I hope you’ll try this idea and share your poem or comments below (scroll down).

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Happy fall, and I hope those of you in the states have a wonderful Thanksgiving next week!