Martin Stannard: Pick of the Week [ed. Terence Winch]

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Princess of Thieves

 

Since you left I’ve been absolutely fine,

And I have something else I want to say:

That “Best of Phil Collins” CD you have is mine.

 

I have not slumped into a terminal decline

And Celia, I welcome each new sunshiny day.

Since you left I’ve been absolutely fine.

 

It may be that you think I have no spine

But you’re wrong, and the truth is here to stay:

That “Best of Phil Collins” CD you have is mine.

 

Celia, I have never been the sort to whine,

And this is what I simply have to convey:

Since you left I’ve been absolutely fine.

 

As I crack open another bottle of wine

The absence of that record causes me dismay.

Celia, that “Best of Phil Collins” CD is mine.

 

It is not in my nature to weakly repine

And every day I go out with my friends to play.

Since you left I’ve been absolutely bloody fine,

And Celia, that “Best of Phil Collins” CD is mine.

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Martin Stannard lives in Nottingham, England, in quiet retirement with his cat, Xiao Mei. He was the editor/publisher of joe soap’s canoe magazine from 1978–1993, where he championed New York poets including Paul Violi, Tony Towle, and Charles North. His poetry and reviews have been published widely since the late 1970s, his most recent titles being The Review (Knives Forks and Spoons, 2020) and Reading Moby-Dick and Various Other Matters (Leafe Press, 2020). “Princess of Thieves” is one poem in a short sequence now called “To Celia” that was originally written as a (slightly humorous but at the same time very serious) series of blog posts called “How To Write Poetry,” with tutorials on the sonnet, villanelle, triolet, sestina, and pantoum. These very useful guides can be found here.  

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Comments

[Don Berger]

Wonderful poem whose formal vessel serves to elevate it into the lyrical sublime. The wit, the wryness, the rhyme--all worth having!

[Denise Duhamel]

Love it! Who hasn't lost something cherished in a breakup? Great use of the villanelle form--losing/Bishop echoes.

[Grace Cavalieri]

This is penetratingly beautiful. Form contains the tumult perfectly.

[Clarinda]

Great on every way! The form works perfectly.

[Eileen]

I love this poem and the Phil Collins CD artwork--it’s great

[Emily Fragos]

Wry, witty, serious villanelle. I enjoyed it very much. I enjoyed Phil's Greatest Hits, too. All those (sad) love songs. Everything is connected.

[Peter Kearney]

It's nice to learn about the villanelle. It's fun to try your hand at sosmething new. I think it was explained there very well.//The words I use are not that hard to spell. I wouldn't want to overtrouble you. It was nice to learn about the villanelle.//It may take time for all the lines to gel. So don't feel bad if you're not quickly through. I think it was explained there very well.// In descending from a mountain, you rappel. But here there's nothing quite that hard to do. It's nice to learn about the villanelle.// In having fun, there's no need to compel. In fun, there's nothing hard you must construe. I think it was explained there very well.//I hope that what I've written won't repel or make you think it's hardly worth a view. It's fun to learn about the villanelle. I think it was explained there very well.

[David Lehman]

As a form the villanelle is beautiful because it is so constrictive, and the trick is to observe the requirements while altering the diction and content to suit the present. As you do. A tip of the fedora, too, for naming her "Celia" -- as much in the spirit of "The Importance of Being Earnest" as in that of Ben Jonson's "To Celia."

[Geoffrey Himes]

This poem would be much more credible if the CD were by Paul Kelly rather than Phil Collins.

[Martin Stannard]

I would like to thank everyone for their very kind comments. I have only ever written one villanelle, this one - same goes for the triolet, sestina and pantoum - and I shall now quit while I'm ahead.

If only for my peace of mind, I would also like to say that while I think Phil Collins is an excellent drummer I have never owned one of his records and never will.

Thank you again. I'm very pleased you enjoyed the poem.

[Eamonn Wall]

Thanks. Enjoyed this greatly.

[Maureen]

Totally delightful!

[Elinor Nauen]

I like this poem all the more — & I already relished it a lot — knowing that the poet has never owned a Phil Collins record.