Our Lady of the Blackberry Vine
reads Rilke for the thorn-caught ghosts,
herself their only anodyne.
With sugar cane and turpentine
she paints their lonely coffin-boats,
Our Lady of the Blackberry Vine.
She makes for them the Holy Sign
her foxfire flock in rotted clothes,
herself their only anodyne.
Willow wafer, cypress wine,
saint cards she sews in pocket-coats,
Our Lady of the Blackberry Vine.
Her hair is braided serpentine
to be for them a woven host
herself their only anodyne.
No Diocese need her assign
to wash the feet that need it most;
Our Lady of the Blackberry Vine
herself their only anodyne.
________
for day 19, ever so slightly early.
I have never had any success trying to write a villanelle. The only one I ever managed to finish was a light-hearted one about my dog. But I thought I would try again, and this is the result. Thanks again to my BFF hedgewitch for the forms she recommended at my request.