13 April 2012

Tim Seibles: Mad Poets Villanelle


I had the great pleasure this week -- after much too long a time -- of attending reading by Tim Seibles from his first book in eight years, Fast Animal. I admit to being a huge fan of his reworkings of popular culture - his Bugs Bunny, Road Runner and "Boris and Natasha" poems, from Hurdy-Gurdy and Hammerlock, for example. There are some stunners in the voice of Blade, The Daywalker in the new collection as well...but here's something to and for us crazy-a** versifiers to help us celebrate Poetry Month

Mad Poets Villanelle


The sunrise is nice, but the nightside is bad
When light breaks the dawn, a black sky turns blue
I think I know why certain poets go mad

I once rode the cosmos in a suit stitched in plaid
The Earth was my space ship and me, the rough crew
The big light was nice; but the nightside was bad

I can't understand why I can't understand
They learned m some books and their churchery too
It's pretty damn clear why the poets turn mad

It's a bootieful life! Shouldn't sex make us glad?
But the first touch of lips brings the turn of the screw
The first light's good light, but the blindside is bad

Be all you can be like it says in the ad
And do a few things that the Janjaweed do
You can see why the sweet poets run mad

Sometimes I think I've been totally had
I fell for this life 'cause I thought life was true
The daylight's alright, but the sunset is sad

It looks like this chance is all that I had
I say to the mirror, That just can't be you
I guess I see why half the people go mad

Maybe if I could just talk to my Dad:
Didn't it seem like your dream would come true?
The sunrise is nice, but the blindside is bad
I think I know why certain poets go mad
 -- from Fast Animal by Tim Seibles (Etruscan Press, 2012)


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