Villanelle: a pastoral or lyrical poem of nineteen lines, with only two rhymes throughout, and some lines repeated.
Cubby, from Poetry that purrs challenged me to produce a villanelle. No sooner said than done! In true Blue Peter fashion , here’s one I made (wrote) earlier; Curating memories is very much on my mind at present: the nine year- old son who inspired the poem now being a strapping 29 year old who’s set us the Loft Challenge. He brings down piles of memorabilia ; we try to sort it all out before his next visit. Easy! So just to embarrass him, here’s Sleep, a villanelle I wrote for a creative writing course (how did I find the time then?) many moons ago.
Sleep
He drifts, lids fluttering, hinting at a light.
With grubby thumb in mouth he travels time;
Beyond the bounds of sleep; beyond our sight.
What thoughts chase through his mind, what shades his night?
As games and playground scraps jostle in line,
he drifts; lids fluttering, hinting at a light.
Wrapped round in quilted cloak he joins the fight:
For yo-yos “sleep”* forever when you’re nine.
Beyond the bounds of sleep; beyond our sight.
In dreams he chooses sides, his team spells might.
Legs kick out, blanket falls – “ Goal, goal. It’s mine!”
He drifts, lids fluttering, hinting at a light.
Dark ogres, nameless fears; with flush of fright
He foils some other self. Of him no sign
Beyond the bounds of sleep; beyond our sight.
Close clasped, hand held, he settles for the night.
I watch him suck his thumb, this child of mine.
He drifts, lids fluttering, hinting at a light.
Beyond the bounds of sleep, beyond our sight.
* “ Sleep” in yo-yo playing vocab is when the yo-yo continues to spin whilst being trailed along the ground.
©️ Jane Sigrist 1999
This is a stunning villanelle! Absolutely love the imagery and gentle phrases. Really splendid.
Thanks! It was hard work at the time, but I really enjoyed writing it. There’s something very satisfying about creating poetry.
Couldn’t agree more. 🙂
I love the “He foils some other self. Of him no sign” line. Very well written! Thanks for sharing! I am a Creative Life Coach with a poetry blog and today’s here is today’s in case you have time to look? It is also a Villanelle!
https://peacockpoetryblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/05/blurred-lines/
I am also on Instagram as #coachingcreatively, let’s follow each other if you use this medium? You can also find me on Facebook under Sam Allen wearing a bright red and orange hat!
I love connecting with fellow creatives as you can see!
Sunny greetings from Switzerland!
Sam 🙂
Thanks for dropping by, Sam, and for the kind words about my villanelle. I enjoyed writing it, though it’s a once only production..so far. You know the saying that everyone has a book in them? Maybe I have the one villanelle! I look forward to reading yours, too. (Though I don’t do Instagram!)
I reckon you might have a few more in you the truth be told! 🙂
You never know!
Reblogged this on Holding Heaven and commented:
‘This Time Last Year,’ or roundabout: an occasional look back at what was brewing in ‘Holding Heaven.’ Have i managed to write another villanelle? No. Is the loft cleared yet? Slow and steady wins the race!
Totally blown over by this… talk about hidden depths…
We’ll have to see if I can produce another one sometime.