Under the Cold Shine
Missed deadline villanelle
The things I should have said and done
Are burning, tearing holes of honesty
Under the cold shine of life's winter sun
/
Would choices be different under a gun
Saving me from emotional travesty
The things I should have said and done
/
Avoid the fate of Attila the mighty Hun
Benefit from a merciful amnesty
Under the cold shine of life's winter sun
/
From me the crowd’s eyes would not shun
Would turn against fate in cambistry
The things I should have said and done
/
Gripping the ripcord before it became a run
And not suffer the stain of my tanistry
Under the cold shine of life's winter sun
/
Could stand atop the hill as the battle is won
And revel in the profane-free majesty
The things I should have said and done
Under the cold shine of life's winter sun
*
About the Creator
Paul Stewart
Award-Winning Writer, Poet, Scottish-Italian, Subversive.
The Accidental Poet - Poetry Collection out now!
Streams and Scratches in My Mind coming soon!


Comments (5)
Shame you missed the deadline. I really liked this. And I've learned "tanistry", which I also really like.
I love how you weave historical references into a very personal sense of regret. It gives the poem a mythic tone.
This is just plain beautiful and leads to understanding on all fronts. Good job.
Damn, Paul. This is stunning and heartbreakingly good. Those two closing lines truly ramp up the emotional reflection of the regret. I mean this is bangin’! I feel awful it was too late for the challenge.
The regrets are many.