two Wimseyian villanelles for marginaliana

[bronze_ribbons]

Earlier this year, marginaliana won my offer to write a custom villanelle. Her prompts included "LPW, Peter reflecting on the way that his work leads to someone being put to death" and
"LPW, Bunter and Harriet's relationship." Herewith...


Wrought

A man cannot help what he deduces
although it may trigger great grief and pain:
some men shape psalms. My hands create nooses.

When How reveals When, and Why produces
an answer both true and horribly sane,
a man cannot help what he deduces,

no matter how much his mind refuses
to countenance what comes next in the train
of justice's psalms and righteous nooses.

Because of my meddling, men sometimes lose
their lives; some condemn my work as profane.
A man cannot help what's there to deduce

but some would say that the man who chooses
to shine unwelcome torch on ancient stain
deserves no hosannas for his nooses

that heed not rank or class, nor do they sluice
Consequence's flood from Impulse's plain--
a man cannot help what he must deduce:
Some men speak psalms, but my hands knot a noose.


Well-Tempered

Devotion and love take many guises --
some of them simple, free of mystery,
and others layered in compromises.

After the capture and the Assizes,
the case does not end; Bunter brings me tea.
Devoted servant's one of his guises

but though his role requires that he hides his
magic underneath nondescript hats, he
knows that I'm glad, how his compromises

don't include lies to me (he realises
now I've shed my inferiority
shackles, my love can don many guises --

silly, soothing -- though none sanitises
what came before in our shared history).
Life with our lord's clad in compromises --

we scheme to spare his nerves, but surprises
also brighten both fugue and harmony:
devotion and love take many guises,
and triads balanced by compromises.


Thank you again to marginaliana for contributing to the cause!