The following poem, a villanelle, won a prize in a poetry contest sponsored by Montgomery Magazine and the Maryland Writers’ Association.
Villanelle means country house in Latin and is traditionally about everyday life. A Villanelle poem has 19 lines, divided into five stanzas of three lines each, plus a last stanza of four lines. The rhyme scheme is aba throughout, repeating the same rhyming sounds. The first line of the poem is repeated as the last line in the 2nd and 4th stanzas. The third line of the poem is repeated as the last line in the 3rd and 5th stanzas. Then the first and third lines are repeated at the end of the poem. Tricky rules but a fun exercise.
Life in America
by Shirley C. Menendez
The world can be a cruel place.
I see it every day.
I want to live my life with grace.
I wish I had a different face,
That’s all I have to say.
The world can be a cruel place.
Because I’m of a different race
And never go astray,
I want to live my life with grace.
I wish that I could just embrace
The way of life today.
The world can be a cruel place.
I sometimes try a change of pace,
No feelings on display.
I want to live my life with grace.
They often say I have no case,
Why don’t I go away?
The world can be a cruel place.
I want to live my life with grace.