Leopard Goes Through Hell Villanelle
When I am sober my brain calls me names.
It lends me no graces and rates me no wage.
I’m a monster of menace who’s blocking all lanes.
Leopard swears solemn she’s paced herself sane,
then eats keeper and leaves. Spends nights in-cage.
When I am sober my brain calls me names.
Some smacked-pups go junkyard, or else break tame.
A leopard is spotted just under the sage.
Poor menaced monster, blocked of brick-lane.
These exotic ether feasts and home-blitz games
are safaris I embark on with my mad dog Rage.
When I am sober my brain calls me names.
In the forest of the night the cat spots flame,
a pass in the mountains lights the voltage of our age.
Such a tense monster, barred of the yellow lane.
Set out a tight monster, get to stone’s yellow vein
leopard-blocked, then locked off the yellow-brick-lane.
Such a tense monster, barred, spotted and strange
as when I was sober and my brain called me names.
