Hi everyone
Since Arthur prompted me to post... here's something I'm
quite proud of. In a poetry workshop we were asked to write a
villanelle, which is a crazy form of a poem invented by the
French trubadurs. It consists of 19 lines, 5 tercets (I do
hope I got it right) and a finishing quartrain. The fist line
of the first stanza is the last line of the second and fourth
stanza and the last line of the first stanza is the last line
of the third and fifth stanza. These two line then come as a
couplet in the end.
Well, I thought I'd never be able to pull this one through.
I've never been fond of poetry with rigid rules and I've
always prefered free verse. To my amazement, once I got the
two crucial lines (an effort which took me 2 days) the rest
of the poem just wrote itself out... and the most important
thing - I really liked the final result. So, here it is:
A Villanelle
You told me you loved me. It was a lie.
I could feel the sting of your acorn eyes.
I wanted to hide. I wanted to die.
Scorn, snigger and frown whipped me. I didn't cry.
Later we touched – a soft, warm surprise.
You told me you loved me. It was a lie.
I was translucent, you were all "I-I-I".
Yet we were knotted in Gordic ties.
I couldn't breathe. I wanted to die.
I wriggled to break free, you insisted we try.
Your voice was a sob, hot tears filled your eyes.
Then you told me you loved me. It was a lie.
Your need glued my wings. I couldn't fly.
Your pain weighed me down. I couldn't rise.
I was petrified. I wanted to die.
You brought me gifts, myrrh and frankincense. O why
did you choose such instruments for my demise?
You told me you loved me. It was a lie.
You never knew I wanted to die.
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