here by the river, our world seems beautiful
a swan in spring feathers tidies the nest
it’s time for growth, birth and renewal
big webbed feet are beginning to shuffle
the swan feels happy the nest looks its best
here by the river, our world seems beautiful
with a breeze from the east, still fairly cool
the swan walks through grass, feet pointing west
it’s time for growth, birth and renewal
his neck stretched out, feathers unruffled
reflected in water, the swan knows his quest
here by the river, our world seems beautiful
moments like these feel deeply spiritual
he lands in the river assured, on his chest
it’s time for growth, birth and renewal
loving, devoted and dutiful
the swan and his mate are equally blessed
here by the river, our world seems beautiful
as time brings us growth, birth and renewal
This is my third contribution to the Villanelle prompt at dVerse Poets. You can read A Voice that Knows and Where Seasons Meet on our sister blog Whippet Wisdom.
A Villanelle is a French verse form consisting of five three-line stanzas and a final quatrain, with the first and third lines of the first stanza repeating alternately in the following stanzas. These two refrain lines form the final couplet in the quatrain (the Poetry Foundation)
Below is the complete version of the villanelle:
here by the river, our world seems beautiful
a swan in spring feathers tidies the nest
it’s time for growth, birth and renewal
big webbed feet are beginning to shuffle
the swan feels happy the nest looks its best
here by the river, our world seems beautiful
with a breeze from the east, still fairly cool
the swan walks through grass, feet pointing west
it’s time for growth, birth and renewal
his neck stretched out, feathers unruffled
reflected in water, the swan knows his quest
here by the river, our world seems beautiful
moments like these feel deeply spiritual
he lands in the river assured, on his chest
it’s time for growth, birth and renewal
loving, devoted and dutiful
the swan and his mate are equally blessed
here by the river, our world seems beautiful
as time brings us growth, birth and renewal
© Xenia Tran
The prompt at dVerse remains open if you want to participate and there are now more than seventy contributions for you to enjoy.
Wishing you all a very happy Monday and a wonderful new week,
with love from Xenia xxx
Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr.
Settings: f/5.6 – 1/500 s – ISO 200, f/5.6 – 1/640 s – ISO 200, f/5.6 – 1/800 s – ISO 200 and f/5.6 – 1/400 s – ISO 200.
dVerse Poets Forms for All: The Villanelle
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