A Villanelle

A Villanelle is a 19 line poem consisting of 5 tercets (3 line verses) and a quatrain ( 4 line verse) with repeating lines.

 Two great examples of Villanelle's are Dylan Thomas's 'Do not go gentle into that good night' and Elizabeth Bishops's 'One Art'.

 During a writing course about three years ago I wrote 'Corruption at Play'. The first line paraphrases a comment from a sports journalist writing about a Premier League Team.

 Corruption at Play.

 A team of stars who've forgotten how to shine,
their boots should burn across the field of play,
young men aspiring to shots sublime.

 Dark forces chase the spark of headlines,
players become exalted and all for money,
a team of stars who've forgotten how to shine.

 Corruption, greed, a story old as time,
heroes or villains, the media's appetite will pay,
young men aspiring to shots sublime.

 Betrayal, addiction to money, sex or wine,
lives changed forever, golden balls turn to grey,
a team of stars who've forgotten how to shine.

 Pressures intense and trust undermined,
what price relationships or morality?
Young men aspiring to shots sublime.

 So many under attack, who will hold the line?
Who's left to defend, are they home or away?
Merely a team of stars who've forgotten how to shine,
and young men aspiring to shots sublime.



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