A Villanelle

To breathe the beaming silence of the sky
I long, when dawn’s chill wakes my eyes, and see
The oft-unseen yet boundless peace on high.

When slumber’s velvety dim moments die,
Pale crowds rush back and forth, although unfree
To breathe the beaming silence of the sky;

For fading shapes of smoke they crave and sigh –
The instant’s captives, whose relief can’t be
The oft-unseen yet boundless peace on high.

New straying steps, atop the old, pass by,
Away from hearts’ forgotten goal – the key
To breathe the beaming silence of the sky…

Though I must bear the bustle’s dust, I try
To reach beyond this breath and draw to me
The oft-unseen yet boundless peace on high.

While many vie to live and live to vie
For empty gains, a life reaps joy when free
To breathe the beaming silence of the sky,
The oft-unseen yet boundless peace on high.

 

Daniel Magdalen is a doctoral student in the Faculty of Letters at the University of Bucharest, in Romania.


NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets.

The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.


CODEC Stories:

10 Responses

  1. Satyananda Sarangi

    Dear Daniel, greetings.
    I loved the refrain that you used. The fact that ‘villanelle’ as a form is difficult to execute, I would like to congratulate you.
    More power to your pen. Best wishes.

    Reply
    • Daniel Magdalen

      Dear Satyananda,
      I am glad you like this villanelle and want to thank you for your appreciative comment.
      Best wishes,
      Daniel Magdalen

      Reply
  2. Morgan Downs

    This might be the best poem I’ve read on this site. Well done, I hope you have more.

    Reply
    • Daniel Magdalen

      Thank you very much. Still, there certainly are poems more complex and beautiful, on this site, waiting to be discovered. Indeed, I shall be writing some more texts when the time is right.

      Reply
  3. Amy Foreman

    Excellent poem, Daniel. Loved every word! I also would love to read more of your poetry!

    Reply
    • Daniel Magdalen

      I am thankful for your appreciation and, yes, new texts are surely to be submitted soon.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Captcha loading...

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.