
This Villanelle is from July 2018, was adapted from my 2011 poem “This Lost Shadow”, which I reposted on my site during the week >> https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2022/07/13/this-lost-shadow-a-10-year-celebration/
A Single Weeping Tree (A Villanelle)
I’m singing this song about a single weeping tree
Why am I so sleepy, am I ageing too quickly
I’m writing a book for a heart and soul gone cold
I’m so physically worn and mentally at sea
Why am I so anxious and lonely
I’m singing this song about a single weeping tree
I’m writing this song about my return to the fold
Why am I so sore, have I lost my plea
I’m writing a book for a heart and soul gone cold
I’m a furnace log, burning up with glee
I’m a sinking ship, all about to flee
I’m singing this song about a single weeping tree
I’m an overburdened camel, not to be told
I’m an empty desert, a void, far as the eye can see
I’m writing a book for a heart and soul gone cold
I’m a broken branch, withering and dying, oh so slowly
I’m this lost shadow, wandering this barren land furtively
I’m singing this song about a single weeping tree
I’m writing a book for a heart and soul gone cold
Ivor Steven (c) July 2018
G’day, and welcome to my blog site. My name is Ivor Steven, I live in Geelong, Australia. I’m an ex-industrial chemist, and a retired plumber, and a former Carer of my wife(Carole), for 30 years, who suffered from severe MS. I Write poetry about those personal thoughts, throughout and beyond my life as a Carer. I’ve been blogging for over 4 years, and writing poems for 20 years. Of course a lot of my poems are about my favourite subject Carole, but since I’ve been blogging my writings have become quite varied, humourous, mystical, observational, and even a few monster/horror poems. View all posts by ivor20
Good to meet you, Ivor… and that was a lovely villanelle…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for visiting my poem
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re most welcome, Ivor…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Your Villanelle is stunning, Ivor! 💖
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Eugenia. .. I’ve only written a few, I find the quite difficult to do 💕🤗🌏
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Ivor.Plumber/Poet and commented:
Here I am presenting my 2nd ‘Villanelle’ poem for the week, but the one is from 4 years ago
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautifully done
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Dale .. but the format is easier said than done
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know! I keep wanting to try, then chicken out!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha .. I understand 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
One day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe try adapting one of your rhyming poems ..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I’m not a poet and don’t have a bunch lying around that can be tweaked. Not that I rework older writings, anyway 😁
I’ll one day decide today is the day I try it!
LikeLiked by 2 people
The villanelle is not one of my favorite forms, but, Ivor, you made it work beautifully in this poem! ❤ Give Frankie a pat for me! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank youCheryl … and I like reading them too, but I find them difficult to write .. 💚🌏📘🐶
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have to confess (with no disrespect meant) that I just don’t get the formalities of specific poetic forms. What’s the point? Should not the message be all that matters? Why constrain the message with strict rules?
And don’t get me going on the concept of Japanese forms in English. The idea strikes me as utterly preposterous. We in the west have a nasty habit of taking ideas from another culture and then mangling them.
Rant over.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Haha .. I understand your rant … I don’t like the constrains of formats either …
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ivor, a great poem and a great example of the form too.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Paul … Although I do struggle with the Format
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a real discipline isn’t it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes Paul, and that I struggle with 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is beautiful. It’s visual yet emotional. I struggle with form poetry, but reading this makes me wonder if I should revisit it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you kindly Isabella… yes it’s a difficult format , I have only written 2 of o 😉🤗💕
LikeLike
Recently, I experimented with senryū poems, but I feel the repetition of lines in villanelles makes them seem so dreamt to me. It’s hard to articulate, but it feels more like poetry.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like writing senryu, haiku, and tanka. .. I think the syllable and line restrictions are good for forming conciseness in my ..
✍️📖🤗
LikeLike
If you read any of my free verse poems, you will see I am not succinct. It’s a quality I try for, but sometimes, my words barrel ahead of me before I can stop them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha .. I know the feeling .. I find reading the poem aloud to yourself is a good way edit your writings
LikeLiked by 1 person
I might try it, but honestly, I’m not sure I mind my wild ramblings. 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep … wild ramblings are good 😊
LikeLike