I thought today I'd write a villanelle
Because a formal poem can be nice,
But this one sucks, as if you couldn't tell.
If it's to be worth writing, write it well.
My mother said, and so, on her advice
I thought today I'd write a villanelle.
A poem is a tricky thing to sell,
Though if it's good you'll get a better price
But this one sucks, as if you couldn't tell.
I'm told that poets always go to Hell,
Therefore, because I like a little vice,
I thought today I'd write a villanelle.
I'm busy, so I wrote it down pell-mell,
Which sometimes lends a poem extra spice,
But this one sucks, as if you couldn't tell.
I can't remember now how it befell
That, motivated by some rare device,
I thought today I'd write a villanelle,
But this one sucks, as if you couldn't tell.
Gordon Costello