The pantoum is a poetic form originating in 15th century Malaysia
that uses repetition. It’s a poem of any length composed of four-line stanzas
in which the second and fourth lines of each stanza serve as the first and third
lines of the next stanza. The final stanza is often two lines from the first stanza.

my place

it’s where I went to find deep quiet
I needed a sacred place to be
a child, I pictured a secret garden
a secluded space all mine alone

I needed a sacred place to be
a haven my parents couldn’t scorn
a secluded space all mine alone
so I crafted a private inner place

a haven my parents couldn’t scorn
skeptics, they could not apprehend
so I crafted a private inner place
free from breach and ridicule

skeptics, they could not apprehend
my need for prayer and quiet
free from breach and ridicule
I sank into my inner garden

I needed a sacred space to be
a secluded place all mine alone