Villanelle: A Voice that Knows

a blue and white whippet in a black jacket walking along the beach

the wind is strong where soft sand blows
along the shore the water’s speech
releases the waves, a voice that knows

perhaps that’s why we feel so close
on every walk along this beach
the wind is strong where soft sand blows

we seek adventure, step in the flows
a faraway wind from the East
releases the waves, a voice that knows

the scent of freedom, a thought that grows
can show us the treasures that lie within reach
the wind is strong where soft sand blows

beneath the moon, a star that glows
we stretch out our dreams where each
releases the waves, a voice that knows

when colours brighten our rainbows
mirroring all that they teach
the wind stays strong where soft sand blows
releasing the waves, a voice that knows

© Xenia Tran

a black whippet in a black jacket landing on his front paws in the sand by some driftwood along the waterline
driftwood sticking out from the sands with soft sand blowing past

Sarah at dVerse Poets invites us to write a Villanelle this month and this is our first contribution. Our second contribution has now been published at Where Seasons Meet and our third contribution Worth Waiting For can be found on our sister blog Tranature.

A Villanelle is a French verse form consisting of five three-line stanzas and a final quatrain, with the first and third lines of the first stanza repeating alternately in the following stanzas. These two refrain lines form the final couplet in the quatrain (the Poetry Foundation)

The prompt at dVerse remains open if you want to participate and there are now more than seventy contributions for you to enjoy.

Wishing you all a beautiful Tuesday,

with love from Eivor, Pearl and Xenia xxx

Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.

Camera: Panasonic Lumix FZ200, Settings: f/3.5 – 1/2000 s – ISO 100, f/3.2 – 1/2000 s – ISO 100 and f/3.5 – 1/1000 s – ISO 100.

dVerse Poets Forms for All: The Villanelle

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Author: whippetwisdom

The stories, poems and photographs on this blog are the original creative work of Xenia Tran. Inspired by life in the Scottish Highlands and in awe of nature she gives voice to the wisdom of her adopted and fostered whippets.

48 thoughts on “Villanelle: A Voice that Knows”

  1. Your Villanelle shimmer with the waves and wind, Xenia! I love the thought that ‘the water’s speech releases the waves’ and the way Pearl and Eivor’s voices come through.

    Liked by 1 person

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