Using form: Rondeau: Jean L. Kreiling, ‘At the Realtor’s Office’

dream home sign

They’re selling dreams, they like to say;
their storefront photographs display
the pricey, well-staged fantasies
they call rare opportunities
and gems. They hope you’ll overpay

for your townhouse, ranch, or chalet,
your great investment, your doorway
to debt. You’re lured in by degrees:
they’re selling dreams

of closet space, kitchens (gourmet!),
and pride. Why shouldn’t wants outweigh
misgivings and realities?
The realtors ply their expertise,
and you’re an easy mark to sway—
they’re selling dreams.

*****

Jean L. Kreiling writes: “The rondeau form seemed appropriate for suggesting a realtor’s technique—that insistent commitment to your purchase, both nerve-wrackingly relentless and, somehow, appealing.”

‘At the Realtor’s Office’ was first published in the Crab Orchard Review, and collected in her new book, Home and Away  (Kelsay Books, 2025)

Jean L. Kreiling is the author of three collections of poems, with another forthcoming soon from Able Muse Press. Her work has been awarded the Kim Bridgford Memorial Sonnet Prize, the Rhina Espaillat Poetry Prize, and the Frost Farm Prize, among other honors. An Associate Poetry Editor for Able Muse: A Review of Poetry, Prose & Art, she lives on the coast of Massachusetts.

Photo: “Dream home” by futureatlas.com is licensed under CC BY 2.0.