WD Poetic Form Challenge: Rondel Winner

I have a couple apologies to make. First, I don't have the November PAD Challenge finalists and winner decided just yet (though I'm shooting to have it finished by Valentine's Day). Second, I got completely twisted around on the rondel form (multiple times)--confusing all those capital and lowercase A's and B's and a's and b's.

As a result of my mistake, some of the rondels written were mixed up too--but I did not hold that against any of the rondels as I read them. Instead, I judged them all as if they were written the correct way. So what ultimately is the correct form? Here it is: ABba/abAB/abbaA

And let me tell you, there were many great rondels. In fact, my regular Top 10 list is this time a Top 20 list with one winner: William J. Preston.

Songstress, by William J. Preston

She sings the songs of other days,
when life was bright and love was whole;
she sings as though it were her goal
to make of blues a hymn of praise.

Her melodies recall the ways
of lilies laughing on a knoll;
she sings the songs of other days,
when life was bright and love was whole

and lovers, lost in life's great plays,
were wont to revel in the role
of helpmeet to the other's soul.
And so, with grace that might amaze,
she sings the songs of other days.

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Congratulations, William!

And here's the rest of the Top 20:

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Congratulations to everyone in the Top 20! And thank you so much to everyone who participated in this challenge! As much as the rondel twisted me around, I loved reading the form, because it has a very musical quality to it.

Keep your eyes open. There's sure to be another challenge around the corner.

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Check out some other poetic forms:

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