Year of Writing 32 Villanelle for inner-city education

2/1/12

A villanelle is an extremely structured 19 line poem. It has refrains and a rigid rhyme scheme. Dylan Thomas' "Do not go gentle into that good night" is probably the most famous English example of the form.

Here's mine:



Villanelle for Inner-City Education

The children sit and stare into the void
around them pencils, paper sits untouched
creativity, truth, the Arts destroyed

The efforts politicians have employed
have truly, sadly not amounted to much
the children sit and stare into the void

Return to basics, they say; but leave the soul devoid
of experience and things that one can touch
creativity, truth, the Arts destroyed

The three R's in the throats of poor children have cloyed
Reading, Writing, 'Rithmetic as such
the children sit and stare into the void

Hence the system propagated what it sought to avoid
suburban schools saved their programs in the clutch
creativity, truth, the Arts destroyed

With the poorest children's future we have toyed
cut both their legs and offered them a crutch
The children sit and stare into the void
creativity, truth, the Arts destroyed