Attending Our Granddaughter's Dance Recital.

The strambotto traces back to the 13th century. This Italian form known as ottava siciliana (Sicilian octave) or strambotto popolare was the preferred form in Southern Italy, while strambotto toscano was more popular in Tuscany [hat tip to Edward Hirsch's A Poet's Glossary]. Today strambotto toscano is known as ottava rima.

Here are the basic rules for strambotto: Octave (8-line) poems or stanzas, Hendecasyllabic (or 11-syllable) lines, Rhyme scheme: abababab

Alternate version: There's also a six-line variant form (still called strambotto) with hendecasyllabic lines and an ababab rhyme scheme. Writer's Digest, Robert Lee Brewer

Dance Recital (6-line variant)

So different from ages three to eighteen

The best dancer is my cute young granddaughter

In some ways, she does remind me of a teen

She will sometimes act like my teenage daughter

She was the most competitive I have seen!

~

Candy Land

And did I say competitive to describe

my granddaughter who is three, will soon be four.

In all seriousness when playing, no jibe!

You would think she is forty-four or some more.

We played Candy Land without a diatribe

until she lost a game and then she was sore!

Her mom was there to talk her down with a bribe.

I wasn't sure what there was I had in store.

~

P.S. I love spending time with my granddaughter and her parents. I have to say that both parents are a bit competitive also. And she is an only child to a bit older parents. Her group was the youngest at the dance recital and I thought they were the best! Such cuties!

BTW: We played 4 games of Candy Land, and I won number 3 quite by mistake!