Sunday’s Villanelle

“Passionately Shallow”

In the crystal goldfish bowl
waggling our fins at the golden beaches
dreams of depth and breadth our goal,

splashing slap dash on a synthetic shoal
envious of the scum scouring leaches
in the crystal goldfish bowl.

We are flaxen flakes we are fufurole
polished foofaraws whose clasps escape our reaches
dreams of depth and breadth our goal;

desperate for a breath, we flip but roll
ever upwise towards the only out–no breaches
in the crystal goldfish bowl.

If our passions pay shallow it is only the dole
of the plastic treasure hunt, what our hollow haunts teach us
dreams of depth and breadth our goal.

Some day we swear we’ll live down there: in a hole
beneath the reef and fulfill our wholesome niches
in the crystal goldfish bowl
dreams of depth and breadth our goal.