Listen to Marvin read God: The Villanelle
The formal villanelle is really odd.
It forces climaxes before the end—
Reveals too soon the human horror: god.
Imagination pushes, gleams, and prods
While humans struggle, swirl, attempt to fend.
The formal villanelle is really odd—
But odder still, that we inflamed our sod
With gross divinity—foul mythos penned—
Created the dread horror of man’s gods.
Compassion tinted us and we outlawed
Fierce pain—except for infidels condemned.
The formal villanelle is really odd.
We burn, behead, ruin, rack, pursue jihad
Against the wretches who refuse to bend—
Reveal eternal horrors of our gods.
Of all ideas we humans shaped, hurrahed,
Not one can rival, subtly portend
The villanelle’s construction (beyond odd),
Nor match the horror of invented gods.
(6/27/10)