Paradelle for Flo

A Poetic Medieval Adventure Birthday Card for Elaine

March 24, 2026

If you’ve followed my blog for a few years, you may recall an annual post in late February or early March featuring my handmade birthday cards with one of my poems created for my most excellent and dear friend Elaine. Because she loves goats, all of the cards I’ve sent her include a variety of my goat illustrations. No ‘kidding!’ And because she’s an extraordinary poet, I try my best to write a unique poem following the rules of a lesser known (at least to me) style, and reprint my words somewhere inside the card. My efforts at poetry are usually hilarious (I would never call myself a poet), but always prompts Elaine to write a fantastic reciprocal poem in the same style.

The major prompt I follow every year is simply …… Have Fun! But I strictly observe a few rules, or else! (Or else this annual project would take me half a year to complete!) Haha!

Rule 1: Think of a theme. This year I had castles on my mind (I don’t know why), so illustrations could focus on things Medieval. You know, towers and moats, knights and shields.

Rule 2: Find a style of poetry that would not only work with my theme, but has a high probability of generating a bunch of belly laughs while I wrote it and while Elaine read it. Next, write the poem. This year I chose to write a Paradelle (a parody on the Villanelle-style poem) that has high comedy potential. Also, the history behind the Paradelle was a hoot …. claiming to have been developed in the 11th Century (fitting my Medieval theme), but was actually introduced in the 20th Century (so I included the history behind the Paradelle in the card and below so you can read it for yourself).

Rule 3: Design and make an accordion card that would comfortably hold all the illustrations and the poem (and the history and rules of a Paradelle-style poem). Issue A ….. at this stage of the project, the illustrations and the poem were still vivid parts of my imagination. Exactly what would be an appropriately-sized accordion book? Hmmmmm? Issue Z ……. because I tend to have grandiose project ideas, the accordion book ended up being, well, grandiose! The outside cover panel was 9”x9” . and with two inside front-facing panels and a front-facing back panel, the entire length of the accordion book, unfolded, was nearly 3 feet long!

Rule 4: Complete the entire project during the first 3 weeks of February, allowing 1 week for mailing from central New Mexico to western North Carolina, arriving in time for Elaine’s birthday on February 28th (her birthday is actually on the 29th, but in years that don’t “leap” she always parties on the 28th). Not being able to complete the card until late the first week of March, I blew this rule, but did send her a ‘place-holder’ birthday puzzle of an underwater fantasy castle atop a sea turtle (alerting Elaine it contained an embedded hint of her actual “gift card” which finally arrived on 16th).

The following photos were taken of the pages from Elaine’s 2026 birthday card.

Elaine loved her birthday card! Can’t describe how much fun it was to create Paradelle for Flo for such a wonderful friend! Thinking up the idea, making the accordion book, creating the illustrations and writing the poem was a great way to spend 5 weeks! It turned into quite a satisfying challenge, as well as a learning experience when it came to mixing various medias together and bringing to life all the components into one card!

If you enjoyed Paradelle for Flo, you might enjoy this one too!

Chasing a Dream … a poet, a few goats, and a circular pantoum : March 3, 2023

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