:: ShatterColors Literary Review

Petrarchan Villanelle

by David W. Landrum

Petrarchan tropes don’t mean a thing to me.
I won’t go ga-ga over your fair cheeks.
I will not treat you like a deity.

I will not wait for your divine decree.
I will not plead with you for weeks and weeks.
Petrarchan tropes don’t mean a thing to me.

You’re not an angel. Don’t think you will see
me fawn and beg. Don’t try Laura’s techniques.
I will not treat you like a deity.

I’m not like Petrarch in the least degree.
You will not make me sigh or make me weep.
Petrarchan tropes don’t mean a thing to me.

You have no charm. You’re boring, actually.
I see your tits. It’s then my interest peaks.
I will not treat you like a deity.

Your tastes and values are quite bourgeoisie.
When I address you, it’s my lust that speaks.
Petrarchan tropes don’t mean a thing to me.
I will not treat you like a deity.

About the Author

David W. Landrum is Professor of Humanities at Cornerstone University in Western Michigan . His poetry has appeared in numerous journals and magazines, including The Formalist, The New Formalist, The Barefoot Muse, Web Del Sol, and many others. His articles and fiction have appeared in Twentieth-Century Literature, Philological Quarterly, Amarillo Bay, Loch Raven Review. His chapbook, Identities, is available at: http://www.formalpoetry.com/ ebooks/landrum.html.

He is also the editor of a new online journal, Lucid Rhythms.

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