Memento
Who remembers what remains?
Through vaunted vaults and hallowed halls I stride to see the king,
Guards and courtiers glide aside that I may pad apace,
A place of beauty and of power, where choirs of angels sing.
******
A gem of angry flash and fire glittered in his ring,
A single tear trickled down his dour, craggy face,
Through vaunted vaults and hallowed halls I stride to see the king.
******
He begged me sore to spare her, would give me anything,
Riches, trinkets, lands, goods, cattle, thralls of every race,
A place of beauty and of power, where choirs of angels sing.
******
What need have I of trappings, to which mortals crave to cling?
Once you reach my kingdom's shore, they vanish with no trace,
Through vaunted vaults and hallowed halls I stride to see the king.
******
I kissed his wife, his baby too, sole balm for painful sting,
And gathered them unto myself, freed of time and space,
A place of beauty and of power, where choirs of angels sing.
******
I slipped away so quietly, but will return with spring,
To reunite a family with dignitas and grace,
Through vaunted vaults and hallowed halls I stride to see the king,
A place of beauty and of power, where choirs of angels sing.
About the Creator
Meredith Harmon
Mix equal parts anthropologist, biologist, geologist, and artisan, stir and heat in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, sprinkle with a heaping pile of odd life experiences. Half-baked.
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More stories from Meredith Harmon and writers in Poets and other communities.
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Comments (11)
This is amazing. Just so good.
Wow, outstanding! You nailed one of the things that I find so difficult with the villanelle, which is to really anchor the poem's meaning to those two repeating lines. "A place of beauty and of power, where choirs of angels sing." says something a little different in each stanza, and I'm in deep admiration of your wizardry here. I hope Vocal honors this one with a place! Good luck!
Wow this was really well done
Gorgeous piece. Well done.
Brilliantly and beautifully written!!! Loving it!!!❤️❤️💕
Beautiful Meredith. You did a great job with this. I have subscribed and look forward to reading more from you!!! 😎 Thank you Randy for sharing this on Vocal + Assist on Facebook the other members are enjoying this... as I see Grz beat me to it!!! 🙂
Very nice. You have the structure down pat! 😊👏
Excellent villanelle and thanks to Randy for sharing it in the Vocal Social Society where I picked it up
Spellbinding, beautiful, enchanting, horrifying & filled with grief for one, soon to become hope realized. Incredibly well done (like I would expect any less from you, Meredith, lol)!
I really like this line: "Through vaunted vaults and hallowed halls I stride to see the king" The wordplay is so good!
very nice