Villanelle: Dear Boy

What was that line?—charmed by a fairy-elf?

If you’ve seen one unicorn, you’ve seen a few.
Amazing how a villanelle will write itself!

I guess you never knew, dear boy, you’re on the shelf.
A unicorn-horn’s aim is straight and true.
What was that line?—charmed by a fairy-elf?

But what were you doing while we were pitching camp
and sipping from the honey-pot
of days, the villanelle life writes,

or dragging our golf clubs up the old cart path?
You marched onto the course and then withdrew
deep into the woods, searching for your fairy-elf.

And were you ever the boy who cried Wolf?!
And then the real wolf came! a new
specter in view, when your villanelle wouldn't write itself.

And I guess you’re thinking there’s a deep, deep gulf
between your sad ass and the chosen few.
What was that line?—charmed by a fairy-elf?
Amazing how a villanelle will write itself!