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Into the Badlands

Into the badlands I must flee
escaping those who wish me ill.
Good judgement failed me, now I see,
into the badlands I must flee.
O wretched hand, such villainy
in one rash act that haunts me still -
into the badlands I must flee
escaping those who wish me ill.


Written 3 Nov 2020

sorrowsorrytriolet

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Andrea Dietrich

November 13, 2020 at 6:26 PM

congrats, my friend. Well deserved win.

John Watt

November 13, 2020 at 6:31 PM

Thanks. I'll have more to say about triolets in my next Soupmail

Paul Callus

November 13, 2020 at 1:29 PM

An excellent Triolet, John. Now you have placed first you don't need to stay on the run any more:) Congratulations! // paul

John Watt

November 13, 2020 at 1:59 PM

Ha ha, I guess it's time to settle down and raise a family. Thanks for the delightful comment, Paul

Edward Ibeh

November 13, 2020 at 11:46 AM

Heartiest congratulations on your top win in my contest with this brilliant triolet, John:-)

John Watt

November 13, 2020 at 2:00 PM

Thank you, Sir Edward, for another challenging and illuminating contest. I am enjoying reading through the winners you have selected, and am honored to be among their ranks. ~ John

Janice Canerdy

November 13, 2020 at 6:55 AM

John, this is an excellent WINNING poem! Janice

John Watt

November 13, 2020 at 2:01 PM

Thank you so very much, Janice!

Sara Kendrick

November 13, 2020 at 6:25 AM

Good one. I hope you don't get bitten by a rattler. Congrats. Sara

John Watt

November 13, 2020 at 2:00 PM

Ha, that would not be a good day! Thanks for dropping by, Sara.

Beata Agustin

November 13, 2020 at 2:29 AM

Wow! Congrats! Thanks for presenting such realistic perspective in your awesome poetic style. God bless you. Thanks likewise for your edifying comments.

John Watt

November 13, 2020 at 2:01 PM

Thank you, and you're welcome! God bless you, my friend ~ John

Anne-Lise Andresen

November 13, 2020 at 2:27 AM

- Congratulations on your great win, John :) - hugs // Anne-Lise :)

John Watt

November 13, 2020 at 2:08 PM

Thanks for the visit and hugs, Anne-Lise!

Eve Roper

November 12, 2020 at 9:31 PM

Congratulations , John, on the win!

John Watt

November 13, 2020 at 2:08 PM

Thank you for coming by, Eve. Hugs ~ John

Sam Kauffman

November 12, 2020 at 6:16 PM

John, congratulations on your win! Your triolet is filled with regret and the consequences of "one rash act." Now life is on the run, looking over its shoulder. This is a full length movie in these short lines. So well done my friend. Harvest blessings!

John Watt

November 13, 2020 at 2:11 PM

Thankfully, this is pure fiction (though there was that time I took a bite of my friend's Twinkie in grade school, unbeknownst to him...) Thanks for coming by with your edifying comment, Sam

Linda Alice Fowler

November 12, 2020 at 5:34 PM

Great one John! Congratulations on the win! Linda

John Watt

November 13, 2020 at 2:11 PM

Thanks for the visit and congrats, Linda. I appreciate it!

Alexis Y.

November 12, 2020 at 3:09 PM

Hi John, This is a well executed triolet. Congratulations on your 1st place win. It was well deserved:-) Alexis

John Watt

November 13, 2020 at 2:12 PM

Thank you, Alexis. Always appreciate your poetry friendship j~ John

Newton Ranaweera

November 12, 2020 at 3:06 PM

Congratulations, John, on your number 1 win for this piece with great imagery!!

John Watt

November 12, 2020 at 8:16 PM

Thank you, Newton, I appreciate the visit ~ John

Jennifer Proxenos

November 8, 2020 at 8:39 AM

This is indeed very descriptive poetry John - but why did you have to go to the badlands - were you naughty!!! John a great trilolet, I'm certain of a win. Have missed your so deep and appreciative comments, I mustn't be greedy though you keep up to date more than I do, but then I answer a bunch. Stay safe and well my friend. Hugs and blessings, Jenifer

John Watt

November 9, 2020 at 5:12 PM

Thank you for this comment, this was purely fictional, but imagining the loneliness and guilt of having to go on the lam after committing a regrettable crime. Thanks again for your many heartwarming comments!

John Watt

November 8, 2020 at 10:43 PM

I read your Hubby's Folly again, and was disappointed to find my long comment there disappeared! I wrote you another one, hopefully it was close to what the first one was. I so appreciate all your kind visits today, Jennifer, I will try to repay the favor soon. God bless you, friend ~ John

Michelle Faulkner

November 7, 2020 at 11:11 AM

This brings to mind those black and white Westerns, and the lonely journey they faced, it has a pleasing flow and cadence too, hope it does well in the contest! (by the way, I spent one fall in my early twenties working at Death Valley, so I can relate in that way too)

John Watt

November 7, 2020 at 12:17 PM

Wow, I'd love to hear what your work entailed at Death Valley, park ranger perhaps? Thank you for the generous comment Michelle.

Andrea Dietrich

November 5, 2020 at 3:01 PM

If you are a cowboy, you have chosen a good place to flee. Cowboy/Indian territory for sure. Very nicely done. Have you been to the Badlands? we went as a family and visited some great old western places like where Annie Oakly hung out (I think she was one of them) and saw Mt. Rushmore during that trip.

John Watt

November 5, 2020 at 3:40 PM

Not the Badlands, per se, but the Mohave Desert here in California comes close (Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Salton Sea). We camp in the desert for a weekend every January. Wouldn't want to live there!

Joanna Daniel

November 4, 2020 at 1:02 AM

A brilliant triolet, John, wonder what the crime was:)

John Watt

November 4, 2020 at 9:48 AM

It is whatever the reader is feeling guilty about. Have you read the Telltale Heart by Poe? Thanks for the visit, dear Jo. ~ John

Susan Ashley

November 3, 2020 at 6:38 PM

My dear friend, your wonderful triolet wraps smoothly around with rhythmic flow and the eerie escapism of the repeating line; "into the badlands I must flee" Another masterful line, John, "O wretched hand, such villainy", piques the interest even further in this already intriguing situation, thus allowing my imagination to run wild with speculation and my heart to melt with regret over his having to flee to the badlands for one rash act.. Your talented pen shines! Best wishes for a win and best wishes for you, dear poet.. ~Susan

John Watt

November 4, 2020 at 9:46 AM

Another rich comment from your generous heart, dear Susan. Thank you for liking my first triolet, it was a bit of a challenge to make the storyline flow the way I wanted it to, but realized I needed to leave out some details and let the reader's mind fill in those gaps, a tactic I'm rather new at! I guess that's where the art of poetry resides: somewhere between the opaque and the transparent, the too much said and too little. Thank you and enjoy your day! ~ John