L Milton Hankins Poet Villanelle

Tarnished Dreams

"Midnight cast its cloudy beams   
From the gloom the shadows went 
Smudging all the tarnished dreams" 

Lying deep inside my mind, it seems, 
My thoughts become twisted and bent 
“Midnight cast its cloudy beams” 

Run strangely amuck in painful extremes 
Synapses spark, mixed messages sent 
“Smudging all the tarnished dreams” 

With motion pictures in flashing streams 
My overworked brain completely spent, 
“Midnight cast its cloudy beams” 

Kaleidoscopic visions a hundred memes 
Some cruel, others entirely unmeant, 
“Smudging all the tarnished dreams"
 
The time will come--beyond the screams, 
When the mind will most certainly relent. 
“Midnight cast its cloudy beams 
Smudging all the tarnished dreams” 


THIRD PLACE WINNER
April 24, 2021 
“Choose Your Form” Poetry Contest 
Sponsored by Joseph May 
[Villanelle using provided quotation]

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Jan Allison May 18, 2021 at 2:55 PM you used Joseph's lines so brilliantly, many congrats on your win:-) hug jan xx L Milton Hankins May 18, 2021 at 6:02 PM Thanks, Jan, for your thoughtful comment on my poem.

Paula Goldsmith May 14, 2021 at 1:23 PM Congratulations on your win. You did a wonderful write. Have a blessed day/weekend.................. L Milton Hankins May 14, 2021 at 2:39 PM Paula, thanks so much for your encouraging comment.

Joseph May May 14, 2021 at 6:06 AM Very nicely rendered Milton, Congrats on your win L Milton Hankins May 14, 2021 at 8:03 AM Thanks so much, Joseph. I appreciated the opportunity to submit to your contest.

Andrea Dietrich April 27, 2021 at 3:26 PM I have not understood how to do this challenge, so I will take yours as my model. It seems you did a splendid job here!! L Milton Hankins April 27, 2021 at 6:19 PM I hope so. You're welcome to it. I really don't like working that much with other people's words, but there was no choice. We'll see how it works out. Good luck with yours.

Poet Tellaferro April 25, 2021 at 12:03 PM Love the imagery and use of repetition. This is my speed. L Milton Hankins April 25, 2021 at 12:35 PM Good. You should try the contest. Thanks so much for your thoughts. I like repetition, too.

Robert Pettit April 24, 2021 at 7:23 PM Clever use of your lines. Good luck with this entry in Joseph's contest. L Milton Hankins April 24, 2021 at 7:26 PM Thanks, Robert, for your encouraging words. I found it difficult to work with someone else's lines and get into their spirit. Anyway, hope I was successful.