The Dichotomy of Clouds
Author | Tom Libertiny
Illustration | Ana Cruz
A villanelle poem inspired by Quiara Alegría Hude’s play Water by the Spoonful, Natalie Colony, and Brian Haven. Special thank you to Emily Willemse for introducing me to the play, Professor Tom Schraeder for creating such a wonderful graduate class, and Ana Cruz for her inspired illustration based on a simple sketch and a few words–all completed in world-record time. The good parts of this poem are courtesy of Dr. David James since he taught me how to write a villanelle.
Grab hold of your cloud, with words so sincere
Connect for that moment, wish for the best
Love ‘til it hurts, be constrained by no fear
By taking the chance, your meaning is clear
Step into the folly, sans your distress
Grab hold of your cloud, with words so sincere
Lurch with the wind, find solace with each veer
Seek out the faction, who dares to undress
Love ‘til it hurts, be constrained by no fear
Without fierce compassion, your purpose smears
Turning your black and white to a grey mess
Grab hold of your cloud, with words so sincere
Value the friend; you know the one my dear
Who shares the mayhem of your inner quest
Love ‘til it hurts, be constrained by no fear
I care not of your setting, web or real
Only our connection sharing life’s zest
Grab hold of your cloud, with words so sincere
Love ‘til it hurts, be constrained by no fear