Poetic Form: Cascade Poem
Posted by Robert

Since I was having trouble coming up with a poem today, I thought I'd investigate a new poetic form to help prompt me into action. I've seen the cascade poem mentioned a few times online, but I always assumed it meant the poem was comprised of stanzas with indented lines (creating a kind of cascading effect). But after researching online, I realize this assumption is wrong.

The cascade poem was a form invented by Udit Bhatia (who also apparently created the Alliterisen, which I'll try to deal with in a future post). For the cascade poem, a poet takes each line from the first stanza of a poem and makes those the final lines of each stanza afterward. Beyond that, there are no additional rules for rhyming, meter, etc.

So to help this make sense, here's what a cascade poem with a tercet would look like:

A
B
C

a
b
A

c
d
B

e
f
C


I have my paintings back
rolled tight for five years as I waited for my life to settle
the color is still vibrant and alive right where I had laid it down

after the end of the end of the world
the last nail fallen from the sky, the children grown
I have my paintings back

darkness folded in, and a mantis skeleton - in tact
moved from a friend's house to friend's house to a basement, dank
rolled tight for five years as I waited for my life to settle

wrinkled now, a little bit ruined
and warm from travel, unrolled, seen
the color is still vibrant and alive right where I had laid it down