The writing group that Carole and Liberty belong to had a homework this month to write a Villanelle. It’s a very specific kind of poem, written to both a repeating line structure and a rhyming pattern. (If you go read Liberty’s villanelle she explains it properly at the start.)

However, after reading both Carole’s and Liberty’s, I was feeling they’d both done very depressing poems. It might be a strict structure of poem, but there’s no need to make the subject matter so down!

So here’s my overly enthusiastically attempt to try and balance the world of villanelle’s into something less depressing!

Striding out down the street at last,
Like I own this town,
Tipping my hat to all that I passed.

Smiling at a friendly chugger who asked,
Grinning at an exuberant clown,
Striding out down the street at last.

Saluting the bookie behind his glass,
Turning frowns upside down,
Tipping my hat to all that I passed.

Tapping my feet and having a blast,
Abusing verbs like they were a noun,
Striding out down the street at last.

Being amused by kids playing on grass,
Seeing the queen in her glorious crown,
Tipping my hat to all that I passed.

Compared to sadness I am a contrast,
Cheering folk up in my dressing gown,
Striding out down the street at last,
Tipping my hat to all that I passed.