Bells, loud echoes of the day
Hearts stood still and teeth did knash
Gone now, never gone away
Ripple in from yesterday
Rest you now, returned to ash
Bells, loud echoes of the day
Children in the snow, at play
Miss one, now in frozen grass
Gone now, never gone away
Cap and mittens still displayed
Pictures, toys rest in a cache
Bells, loud echoes of the day
Christmas morn now filled with grey
Running footsteps never pass
Gone now, never gone away
Under tree wait gifts today
Glittered paper, mem’ries flash
Bells, loud echoes of the day
Gone now, never gone away
Merril is today’s host of dVerse. Merril says:
[F]or today’s Poetics challenge, I’d like you to write something about echoes. You can write actual echo poetry—where you repeat the end word or syllable or echo sounds.
OR—you can write a poem about some sort of actual echoes.
OR –you write about the myth of Echo.
OR—you can combine any or all of these.
Today’s offering is a villanelle form poem.
image: “Children Playing in the Snow” by Catherine Bradbury
Tao Talk 
Sad. Echoes that will never die.
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You whip this villanelle into pragmatic shape, with refrains tolling poetic echoes; very impressive. Lots of artful variety out here on the trail; hooray.
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Thanks, Glenn, and yes, so much wondrous poetry to enjoy.
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I love the villanelle, it’s beautiful Lisa.
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Thank you, Linda.
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Beautifully written Li.
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Thank you, Sadje.
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It’s got a rhythm of a winter holiday, and /perfect/ villanelle rhyme scheme too. Wonderful.
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Xan thank you.
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beautiful composition, lots of effort in this one 🙂
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Thank you, Kate!
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welcome Lisa!
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Wow, Lisa! Grief echoes like bells in your poem of mourning…ashes to ashes, we all fall down.
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Thank you, Lynn.
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I like the refrain of “Gone now, never gone away”
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Thank you, Reena 🙂
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So many echoes of Christmas past in your poem, Jade, including friends who are gone but still in our minds and hearts. We don’t often hear bells or children playing outside these days, although we do still get carol singers. The Villanelle rhyme scheme and refrain work well.
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Thanks, Kim.
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What a wonderful, splendid villanelle! Bittersweet echoes and tolling bells. Thank you for joining in.
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Thank you, Merril, and you are welcome.
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I like this echoing line: “Gone now, never gone away”
It is amazing how the repetitions in the villanelle’s structure sets up an echo.
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🙂 So glad you liked the poem, Frank.
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You captured grief in a memorable villanelle.
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Jane, thank you for reading and commenting.
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Gone now, never gone away. These words echo the many memories this season brings. Your words were a great stroll down memory lane.
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Astrid thank you. Glad you connected with it.
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Artful repetition and echoes in this one! Loved it.
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Thank you, Phillip, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Villanelle is another great repeating form.
And the aftermath of death is very like an echo. (K)
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Like you (I think it was you) said, we see the light of stars long dead…
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True, true.
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Thank you for reading and commenting.
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felt like a merry song to me!
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I’m glad you connected with it. Thanks for reading and commenting 🙂
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My pleasure, Ms. Jade!
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Very spooky – could as easily be an incantation as a dirge. Very powerful and deceptively simple, like one of those children’s rhymes which are loaded with double meanings like Ring Around the Rosy.
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I appreciate your take on it. It was meant to be haunting. I didn’t make a comment on your poem but I’ve been thinking about it off and on ever since!
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I saw some pictures from my youth… so much is missed… my parents, the house we used to live in… and as you say it echoes into now.
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