This poem is written as a villanelle. There is a pun in the title, as the origin of the word 'villanelle' is 'villa', since it was usually a kind of verse composed on a pastoral theme, and written in the countryside away from the stresses and strains of city life. I have just been told by a fellow-poet (no names) that mine is not a classic villanelle, in which line 4 should rhyme with line 3 and so on, but the basic pattern is nevertheless clearly correct, with the use of the refrain. Perhaps there needs to be debate about the use of verse forms, and the degree of variation permissible!
What to bring? A torch, a pack of cards.
Less is more. Seek balance. Love perfection.
From our retreat, we send the world regards.
Thick walls offer us enough protection.
No need to hire shady bodyguards.
What to bring? A torch, a pack of cards.
Late-night poker we'll play, perhaps charades,
cast shadows - sheer carnival confection.
From our retreat, we send the world regards.
Don't ask who's won the latest election.
We're here to daydream like lazy lizards.
What to bring? A torch, a pack of cards.
Form matters. Thus Palladian facades
survive, as if by natural selection.
From our retreat, we send the world regards.
Figs ripen. Autumn evades detection.
Unhurried preparation reaps rewards.
What to bring? A torch, a pack of cards.
From our retreat we send the world regards.
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