Villanelle 8 (And Corrections)

Happy New Year.

The holidays are always such a whirlwind and this year was no exception. As you can see from my previous entries, I managed only one villanelle during that period. And if you look closely, I did it wrong. My previous villanelle has seven as opposed to six verses. I never noticed as I wrote it, nor as I transposed it into the blog. I only noticed it when I completed today's villanelle.

That was also when I noticed I'd mislabeled the last one as number eight, when it was in fact only number seven!

While the holidays and many other factors certainly contributed to the double-error of my last villanelle, the complexity of the form and the level of concentration required before during (and it would seem after) its composition played a bigger role. All of this by way of saying that I've elected to end this first exploration into the villanelle for now. It's only eight, I realize, but believe me, eight villanelle takes the time, thought, creative energy and concentration of many more poems of other forms. I still like them, and there is a certain fun in going through the sometimes mind-wracking process of this form. But seeing as how slow my composition rate had become since switching to villanelle, I wanted to move on to something else, here in this New Year. Something fun, but less complicated. I don't know what I'll go with next, but rest assured it will be something I can produce with less time commitment than a villanelle. Hopefully by the time I enter my second exploration of this fascinating form, whenever that may be, I'll be able to produce more. Until then, do enjoy this final villanelle for now, structured properly and everything.

*

And so begins a time of peace.
A time to seek a comfort in my soul.
My worst anxieties will cease.

Like philosophers in Ancient Greece
I'll make excellence and piety my goal.
And so begins a time of peace.

All my anger I now release.
And walk into Light, though stumbling like a foal.
My worst anxieties will cease.

This human life we do but lease,
Our temporary nature is the toll.
And so begins a time of peace.

Henceforth, while on this Earth, my joys increase.
No more lay I, lazy on a knoll.
My worst anxieties will cease.

Likewise, regrets and fear decrease.
The wonders of this life I shall extol.
And so begins a time of peace.
My worst anxieties shall cease.