Thursday, July 19, 2007

The Villain Villanelle

You take advantage of people’s fear
You tell them to go home and lock the door;
You say the enemy is near.

Until you were forty your companion was beer.
Why shouldn’t we believe there’s more?
Can you really be sincere?

We waste forty billion a year
On a senseless, meaningless war:
You say the enemy is near.

Is that a crocodile tear?
You claimed sympathy for the poor
Can you really be sincere?

Are you as dim as you appear?
It’s the kind of behavior I deplore.
You say the enemy is near.

Our brave troops, the volunteer
Army is dying on a foreign shore.
Can you really be sincere?
You say the enemy is near.

Any comments/suggestions?

5 comments:

Mackenzie said...

Nice job on this. I really speaks alot about politics

Anonymous said...

I'm confused as to which line should be repeated, for instance, "You take advantage of people’s fear" shouldn't that be the repeated line instead of, "Can you really be sincere?" just wondering.

Maria said...

Thanks, anonymous. I know that line is a little weak. Maybe I'll change it around.

Anonymous said...

you should remove the " you" from the second line in the 1st stanza. I think that would make the first stanza more powerful. GREAT POEM!

Caitlin said...

Nice job. i like the change. i think it's a great peom. it is ....insightful.