Villanelle: Destruction

"Eheu" is taken from Horace's famous lines "Eheu, fugaces, Postume,Postume,/labuntur anni..." (Alas, Postumus, Postumus, the fleeting years slip by) [Odes Bk II, XIV]. Some critics say "eheu" is pronounced as three syllables, some as two, and some with a sort of dying fall on the second syllable making two and a half. For my purposes it's two, although the other pronunciations work well.

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Eheu, such heartache, all that was is dead,
Lost to the past like wreckage on the tide;
Chastened, the wise man lives within his head.

Tremble of heartstrings, twined by board and bed,

Untuned to din when love and hate collide;
Alas, such heartache, all that was is dead.

A mate and spratling to be clothed and fed,

But crippling horror when that child’s eyes chide;
Chastened, a wise man lives within his head.

Smash up of home when each from each has fled

Implacable as seagulls on the glide;
Eheu, such heartache, all that was is dead.

Years upon years into the night have bled

And each is changed and to the truth has lied;
Chastened, the wise man lives within his head.

But oh to share again what kissing said,

And traipse, a prattling young one at my side;
Alas, such heartache, all that was is dead,
Chastened, a wise man lives within his head.

 

=============== © July 2014