Discovering Your Creative Voice
A French Pantoum is a poetic form that originated in the West as an adaptation of the traditional Malay Pantun. It is known for its distinctive repetition pattern, where certain lines are repeated across stanzas in a set sequence. This structure invites reflection, resonance, and layered meaning—making it especially powerful in contemplative and creative practices.
Peter Huitson shares his experience of writing some on the Encounter Course.
I am a second year student on the Encounter Course. This term we have been deepening our practice of contemplative listening.
One of the exercises we were given, to enhance our understanding, was to write a ‘French Pantoum’. This is a 12 line poem, in 3 stanzas, in which 6 original lines are each repeated in a specified pattern. The form sets up interesting and unexpected emphases and unforeseen meanings which mirror the unpredictable way in which heart-felt sharing unfolds in the presence of a contemplative listener.
Each stanza break acts as a time to breathe, in which what has so far been voiced can be assimilated and digested: both by speaker and listener (or indeed poet and reader). The repetitions are recapitulations of what has been said already and act as spring board for the speaker to move deeper into her story. And the final repetition of the first line brings a sense of completion to a unique journey of encounter.
The 6 original lines were developed as the spontaneous responses to six questions relating to contemplative listening.
Examples of the questions are:
What qualities would enhance the practice?
Who are your role models as contemplative listeners?
What is a scriptural story that demonstrates contemplative listening?
The idea was simply to note down what came and feed these fruits into the prescribed pattern and see what arose. I did this and was amazed at the power of the result which I shared in the class. I was so taken with this form that the next day I wrote 2 more.
I hope the poems speak to you and that you too may be inspired to write your own French Pantoum
An ocean of love
An ocean of love washes each tender heart
Enraptured, we sit and look at what is
Teresa of Avilla and John of the Cross
Jesus sleeps soundly on the storm tossed boat.
Enraptured, we sit and look at what is
Fresh grass trembles and shines in the sun
Jesus sleeps soundly on the storm tossed boat
and we sit with Mary on a hill as light dies.
Fresh grass trembles and shines in the sun
Teresa of Avilla and John of the Cross
join us with Mary on a hill as light dies
An ocean of love washes each tender heart.
A blazing bush
A blazing bush lights the way toward Mount Sinai
Presence, silence and profound peace
Jesus, St Francis and Hazrat Inayat Khan
The Samarian woman draws water at the well.
Presence, silence and profound peace
Resonating with the still small voice of God
The Samarian woman draws water at the well
and dips a bucket into the heart of mystery.
Resonating with the still small voice of God
Jesus, St Francis and Hazrat Inayat Khan
dip a bucket into the heart of mystery
A blazing bush lights the way toward Mount Sinai.
Jacob wrestles the angel
Jacob wrestles the angel from dusk until dawn
Faith and Hope and Charity
Hildegard of Bingen and Julian of Norwich
A stranger joins us as we walk to Emmaus
Faith and Hope and Charity
Bright as the colours in God’s promise to the world
A stranger joins us as we walk to Emmaus
overturning all that’s not in our hearts.
Bright as the colours in God’s promise to the world
Hildegard of Bingen and Julian of Norwich
overturning all that’s not in our hearts
Jacob wrestles the angel from dusk until dawn
Peter Huitson
Drawing on Christian, Sufi, Buddhist, and Vedantic traditions, Peter offers a compassionate, inclusive approach to spiritual and personal growth. Trained in counselling and the Encounter Course, and with experience as a play therapist, he welcomes individuals of all faiths—or none—who long for wholeness and deeper connection with Source, however named. His work is enriched by a love of poetry, dreams, imagery, and creative expression as pathways to inner guidance. Inspired by the beauty of life, nature, and wilderness as sacred revelation, he invites others into a space where the soul can speak and the sacred can be encountered anew.
Why Use the French Pantoum?
Repetition invites deeper reflection and emphasizes emotional or spiritual themes.
New context gives repeated lines fresh or unexpected meanings.
Completion is felt when the poem returns to the opening line at the end—mirroring a cyclical journey.
It’s a beautiful form for journaling, therapeutic writing, and spiritual exploration, especially when the lines come from spontaneous responses or inner insights. It's less about rhyme or meter, and more about the rhythm of meaning and inner movement.
Structure of a French Pantoum (12-line version)
Take a piece of your recent journaling and, once you reach a natural pause—or a sense of contentment with what you’ve expressed—re-read what you’ve written slowly and attentively.
As you do, underline at least six phrases or ideas that stand out. Choose those that surprise you, stir something in you, or evoke a sense of resonance or dissonance. Mark them A, B, C, D, E, and F.
These six lines will form the foundation of a French Pantoum—a short, reflective poem that uses repetition to draw out new layers of meaning.
Without overthinking the order, place your six chosen lines into the structure below. Let it be intuitive. Once done, return to the form and fill in the remaining lines as indicated.
It typically consists of three 4-line stanzas (12 lines total), using only six original lines. The pattern works like this:
Stanza 1
Line 1: A
Line 2: B
Line 3: C
Line 4: D
Stanza 2
Line 5: (Repeat line 2) – B
Line 6: E (new)
Line 7: (Repeat line 4) – D
Line 8: F (new)
Stanza 3
Line 9: (Repeat line 6) – E
Line 10: (Repeat line 3) – C
Line 11: (Repeat line 8) – F
Line 12: (Repeat line 1) – A
Reflection Prompts for Journaling or Meditation
What feelings arise when your read your poem?
What surprises you about your poem?
What part of yourself longs to be heard right now?