Villanelle

Light a fire

I want to light it on fire,
watch smoke fall, ash rise.
Char the house of my desire.

It is a metaphor I think,
but no, for it is a real house
and I want to light it on fire.

Cracked foundation thin as wire,
iron bed before the wall red,
char the house of my desire.

Start with gasoline, dried leaves, tire
a crisp night to get a crackle,
I need to light it on fire.

This, my first time to conspire
with eyes that burn to witness
flames take the house of my desire.

Cursed house will play the witches pyre,
unbind my soul from the trunk of hell.
I am going to light it on fire.
Destroy the house of my desire.

This is a fun piece and one of my favorites to visualize.  It is a structured form called a Villanelle, where you have two refrains and two repeating lines.  The first and third line of the first stanza alternately repeat until the last stanza, which includes both repeated lines.  I think I like this form because it's roots lie in song. I would like at some point to put this to music and see where it leads me.

Probably the most famous example of a Villanelle is "Do not go gentle into that good night" by Dylan Thomas.  But my favorite is "Mad Girl's Love Song" by Sylvia Plath.