A Living Villanelle

Here's a poem. It can be read on its own or as a companion piece to 'The Martial Artist', which is also on this website. Both are best read aloud.

A Living Villanelle

Existence mustn't echo, nor the self

Reprise repeatedly his breakout role.

Rage, rage against a life in villanelle.

Define 'alive' as the inverse of 'still';

Know life is movement, either young or old.

Existence mustn't echo, nor the self:

Our consciousness should be a constant swirl,

New information churning up the pool.

Rage, rage against a life in villanelle.

When proven wrong, adjust your world. Rebuild.

Adaptable hypocrisy's the goal;

Existence mustn't echo, nor the self.

Twain's history's in rhyme; that sounds like hell.

Enslavement to prosodics, sans a soul!

Rage, rage against a life in villanelle.

I disagree with every line above.

Promoting hypocrites is not my style -

At least, not any more. The lives we love

We should return to on repeat. So while

This poem's yet to close, I'll change its voice

To match my current message: all this verse

Existence mustn't echo, nor the self

Rage, rage against a life in villanelle.