Brevity is the soul of wit, they say....
or perhaps it's only that too little time can make one punchy.
Whatever the case, when I realized The Poetry Sisters challenge was due this week---AND that the task was to compose a villanelle on the theme of the shortness of time---I, being actually VERY short of time---briefly (ha!) lost my mind and wrote the first thing that popped into my small brain.
(Or perhaps February always makes me get silly.)
In either case, it's no languid, genteel flow of words here today, folks---this poem is mercifully quick, and defectively concise.
A Villanelle Too Brief to be Believed
To rhyme "brevity"
requires no skill
but high levity;
forget grandevity--
it's years off your life; a pill
to rhyme brevity
with something shorter than longevity.
See? It’s no thrill.
But high levity
aside— yippee!—
wit is much more chill
to rhyme. Brevity,
to an alarming degree,
may be fast-acting, like NyQuil,
But high levity?
A truly jackrabbity
beast. Yet—what an ever so long-lasting thrill
to rhyme brevity
with high levity!
---Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)
I'm hoping my Poetry Sisters have put up something far more poignant.
Liz
Tanita
Laura
Kelly
Tricia
Poetry Friday is hosted today by Penny Parker Klostermann at A Penny and Her Jots.
ha ha ha -- jackrabbity!
ReplyDeleteThis is a delight, Sara, thank you!
That word just hopped into my poem---and then it had to stay. :)
DeleteI adore this poem. And I see that you were inspired by Polonius, which is where I first tried to go, but just couldn't make it work. The enjambment you have here is absolutely, wonderfully delightful!
ReplyDeleteI was, Kelly. And thank you for noticing my enjambment---that is one of my fav things to play with in a poem.
DeleteThis poem is a playground of fun, Sara. Man, you are so clever.
ReplyDeleteBut high levity?
A truly jackrabbity
beast.
Love it!
I felt a bit chagrined when I saw your amazing poem, Laura...but...the world needs some jackrabbity levity, too, right? I'm so grateful we all write what we need to write each month. xo
DeleteAh - you made that quote work! I could not, like Kelly. And frankly, my head has been in a wholly different place. Thank you for always bringing the funny.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Thank YOU for bringing the prickly. xo
DeleteThese exercises are so much fun. I think they force us to give up on perfection and just enjoy working with language. I loved "jackrabbity."
ReplyDeleteThey do. Perfection is not possible, and the sooner I give up on it, the more fun I have. :)
DeleteThis made me smile today--and that is a gift indeed.
ReplyDeleteSo glad. And thank you for visiting!
DeleteJackrabbity! A word I need to incorporate into my everyday vocabulary. :-D
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! Please do it.
DeleteI loved grandevity ...
ReplyDeleteI thought it was absurd that I'd chosen the word brief, but brevity! You did right by it in so many ways. I love that the poem not only uses brevity, but is the essence of brief. Bravo! (I love it when you're playful, so this was fun to read.)
Thanks, Tricia. You are a word appreciator, I know. This poem started out wordier, but I quickly realized I had to pare it down---way, way down---in order to stay true to the theme. Once again, the exercise led me someplace unexpected. Hooray for that!
DeleteI just "villanelled" for the first time recently myself. VERY impressed.
ReplyDeleteI love every bit, especially that you found a laugh in your challenge for "brevity." But that word "grandevity" may be something our new president would use, better than bigly!
ReplyDeleteWe can all use more levity in our brevity. :-)
ReplyDeleteWow----NyQuil! Now, that's fast acting funny. It's hard to keep up with all the emotional energy life at the moment needs. This was a welcomed giggle. Have a great week and month. I love visiting the Poetry Princesses.
ReplyDeleteSo. Much. Fun.
ReplyDeleteReally fun. I'm enjoying reading the villanelles by The Poetry Sisters!
ReplyDelete