Not so long ago, I inherited a coat that had belonged to a far-flung relative. I learned a lot about him from what I found in the pockets. The more I learned, the more I appreciated the man. I wrote this villanelle in his honor.
Blaze
The coat is surely from his east coast days
those years in Boston no one talks about
when he untied the strings a thousand ways.
I find a matchbook from the nightclub BLAZE
unopened in a pocket – without doubt
the coat is surely from his east coast days.
I think of him on stage, the thick-breathed haze
above his head and how the crowd would shout
when he untied the strings a thousand ways,
so far from home, a farm boy in that maze
of all that drugs and rock n roll could spout.
The coat is surely from his east coast days
and now I smile to think of all the ways
he honored her along that sacred route
when he untied the strings a thousand ways.
I treasure every unstruck match that says
some people love home best by getting out.
The coat is surely from his east coast days
when he untied the strings a thousand ways.
Penguin Poems 
Andrew, I am in awe of your villanelle talents–it sounds so fun, and yet I’m always stumbling, haven’t gotten there yet 🙂 a lyrical tribute, I really feel like I could sing this–wonderful!
Hmmm… trying to remember the coat, and the relative…. love you
On Tue, Nov 6, 2012 at 2:50 PM, Penguin Poems
Beautiful write–great sense of the form, and a wonderfully poignant piece
Absolutely excellent poem – so many details that lead to a wonderful character sketch.
really a beautiful piece man…and the form makes it sing…my fav parts…he honored her along that sacred route
when he untied the strings a thousand ways.
I treasure every unstruck match that says
some people love home best by getting out….that is really cool…i have a coat i got from a dead man i never knew…but at the time i had none and his son gave it to me…its sturdy and warm…
I like this a lot, Andrew. Makes me want to know him too. ^_^
This is so natural and polished within the form–no false notes. A very lively and engaging story. Nice work.
I love this, Andrew… and to think it came from a coat.
An excellent villanelle. Bravo.
fun: “love home best by getting out” !!!
Andrew…I bow to your prowess with this form! Masterful storytelling, masterful pen.
Andrew, this is a wonderful villanelle, about a very mysterious man I imagine.
Pamela
Beautiful! This flows, teases the reader into thinking they know him… and then maybe not. A novella, condensed.
Very nice! It is nice to see a poem with rhythm and rhyme and you really master the villanelle. Very nice!
Andrew, this villanelle is masterful, truly. That description is in many ways my own life “back in the day,” except there would be one match missing – the one that lit the candle at both ends. Really related to this one, man. And that repetitive structure of the V. form is both expressive and sort of haunting. Loved it! Lived it! Amy
http://sharplittlepencil.com/2012/11/04/because-i-can/
Oh, this made me smile. I remember the little things that I found when going through Grandma’s stuff, little mysteries that tell a story even without facts. Beautiful Villanelle and very much enjoyed.
Really dig this. I was sceptical UN the beginning, but the elegance shines through through piece