Villanelle I

This is my first-ever (and so far only) villanelle.  I wrote it for one of my fellow Mythgard students, as a birthday challenge, and have slightly adapted it for publication here.  "Verlyn" refers to my hero Dr. Verlyn Flieger, a great light in the world of Tolkien studies.  "Corey" refers to Dr. Corey Olsen, the founder of Mythgard, whose irrepressible and highly contagious enthusiasm for the works we study routinely induces him to prepare far more slides for each lecture than he can possibly cover.  So of course we kid him that we are placing bets on how many slides he will get through during class.

Tolkien studies offer us a glimpse of heaven,
Verlyn our professor, Mythgard's mighty spark.
Hunched at my computer and it's past eleven. 

Cast aside my law books with their dry "replevin,"
"heretofores," "whereases," and judicial snark --
Tolkien studies offer us a glimpse of heaven. 

Knocking back espressos with some cream from Devon.
Haven't read Beorhtnoth - hope it is not too dark.
Hunched at my computer and it's past eleven. 

Deadlines they are looming, it’s my Armageddon.
Typing at the keyboard with the thrush and lark!
Tolkien studies offer us a glimpse of heaven. 

Thoughts are effervescing much like yeast or leaven,
Can I write a thesis on Huan's last bark?
Hunched at my computer and it's past eleven. 

Corey's slides win wagers (they'll be less than seven!),
Images by webcam glowing in the dark.
Tolkien studies offer us a glimpse of heaven
Hunched at my computer and it's past eleven.

Jun. 2013, rev. Feb. 2014

Great poetry it ain't, but it was fun to write.