Write a Villanelle

The Rustic Concert

Form: this week, each Creative Writing Club member tried to write a villanelle, a kind of pastoral poem that has its origins in French or Italian. Aside from attempting to use the form, we added the theme of love to guide our choice of language.

Merriam-Webster defines a villanelle "as a chiefly French verse form running on two rhymes and consisting typically of five tercets and a quatrain in which the first and third lines of the opening tercet recur alternately at the end of the other tercets and together as the last two lines of the quatrain." It probably sounds more difficult than it is. While the description above may not make much sense to you, if you would like to learn more, read about what makes a villanelle special by reading ours...

Love in War

by Fatema Abdul Salik

Love hidden in darkness,
Quiet mood, slowly moving shadows.
Burning passion put on a low burn.

The soft meeting of hands:
A mother's love, a child's prayer--
Love hidden in darkness.

War over the lands,
Messages cut short by the black bans.
Burning passion put on a low burn.

The cursed wind that uncovered treasure below the sands:
County, family, son lost to the black  grim
Love hidden in darkness.

Money passing through common hands,
Longing for days passed in the ruins of my home.
Burning passion put on a low burn.

Peace and love to the lands...
A day with tranquility that is eternal...
Love hidden in darkness,
Burning passion put on a low burn.

Love is Ancient and Forever

by Nadia ElMeragawi

Love is ancient and forever
It burns in the centre of time
Love is in every scene of my life.

Love is present through suffering and anguish
makes us believe
Love is ancient and forever

Love runs its fingers through my hair
Love is held close to me
Love is in every scene of my life

Walking alongside me
loving is easy
Love is ancient and forever

being loved is hard
accepting love is difficult
Love is in every scene of my life

Love forgives everything
everything to an extent
Love is ancient and forever
Love is in every scene of my life

Life is Creative

by Tala B. Anatawi

When the repeated rhythm breaks,
When the usual routine changes,
Love life and it will be creative

The sudden unexpected Idea
The sudden good luck earth sends
Love creates those moments

When you receive a gift
From someone you thought of
Love life and it will be creative

When you discover you worried for nothing

When you can fix your past mistakes
Love creates those moments


When you pray for a miracle
And God responds
Love life and it will be creative

Luckiness, spontaneity

And fortuitousness
Love creates those moments
Love life and it will be creative

Who isn't more in love today?

Who isn’t more in love today?

Who isn’t more blue?

Who isn’t more wonderful?

Who isn’t more lost?

Who isn’t more true?

Who isn’t more in love today?

Who isn’t more star-crossed?

Who isn’t more new?

Who isn’t more wonderful?

Who isn’t more tossed

In the sea? Who isn’t more through?

Who isn’t more in love today?

Who isn’t more frost

And frozen? Who isn’t more “ooh?”

Who isn’t more wonderful

In the morning? Who isn’t more bossed

By the boring? Who isn’t more, too?

Who isn’t more in love today?

Who isn’t more wonderful?

Theme: As it was the beginning of the new year and our first meeting in 2014, I thought we could write about starting at the start. The students clearly had another idea as we came up with two themes to guide our process this week.

Write about an obsession or about new beginnings.

One cancels the two.

by Noor Odeh

One cancels the two. They

burst in front of eyes behind my

phone's screen. It's a maze

for little cherries

stuck surrounded by different shapes + colors.

Calling me from the

app on my phone, telling me to

click and start playing. I am obsessed.

I am obsessed with Candy Crush.

This beginning.

by Nadia ElMeragawi

Marks the end of time.
The disappearance + space.
Moments by moments vanishing
until there is nothing
just me!
Starting a new
defying all of the intricate rules of the world.
I, creating new laws of the universe.
Watch old creations burn
See eternity slipping out of existence.
Observe the laws of physics being defied by the mind of a mad man.

Round & round in semi-circles

by Tala B. Anatawi

The thoughts swirl & twirl
Obsessed with any vision the
eyes see. Or any of the senses I
sense. It's my brain
It. It shouts it's a
new beginning! My neurons
are positive. I respond: Oh thanks.
But I forgot. I forgot that
I'm bipolar.
I am indeed.
I'm obsessed with being so positive then
breaking down is wicked
Life when you can predict
your ominous downfall.
It's like walking on a thin line
that would either make you fall to
Utopia or endless affliction.
But when you fall into Utopia
the next day comes the endless affliction. Oh, I mean the
next cycle. The brainy cycle. The neurotic
cycle.One day I'm a pianist
the other, I'm intolerant of music.
But wait, that's just happening in
my head.
Nobody saw anything.
I can change it covertly.
And fake my love to my piano again.
I already have the skill.

beginnings

by Alia Ali Al-Semeiti

- first word "mam"
- first day at each level of school
- begin to read and write
- begin to learn more
- the first abaya
- first day at ABP
- the first published article
- every day is the first chapter of your life

I want that thing!

by Nayrouz A. ElAzzabi

I have never had it before!
How is it? What is it?
Is it good? Is it bad?
Dunno. Wanna try!
Ain't that obsessive!
No, it's not.
Why isn't it!
It happens every day, here and there,
now and then,
with me, with her.
With me, with him.
Don't we all have that strong desire for something
for someone.
We all have that strong desire for it.
I wanna try it. I'm gonna make it.
Let us start.
Here we go. Here we are.

Newborn

by Ameena Bakaev

Awakening with a deep breath from heart

And with that cry of life that’s heard first

A beauty beyond comparison

That brings joy and warmth

Such a beautiful cry that breaks the hardest metal

That’s the one, That’s the newborn

The beautiful creation of god

That’s the smile

That’s the hope

That’s the new joyful greeting

And here is the grateful acceptance

Here is the great care of love

The mother, The father, The relatives

Greeting that beautiful angel

To a world that’s the opponent

And life that’s waiting to live,

Meeting others, meeting the creator

Choosing the right path, fighting for the right path

Finding love and following footsteps

Patience and payback for love and care

And finally with the same smile

Preparing for the next journey in the after life

While here is the pain of separation

That’s it, Life, an endless journey

Capture the ABP Patterns

Photo by Michael Grossman

This week, the Creative Writing Club had planned to meet with the Photography Club for our third dual-club endeavor, but none of their club members showed up! In all fairness, on the verge of the end of the semester and finals, it is a difficult time of year. Anyway, we wrote off into the sunset without them and look forward to resuming our meetings with them in the Spring semester. Good luck everyone...

In our writing, we spent much of our time capturing the PATTERNS that we noticed around the ABP. What's that? Patterns? You don't understand? Read some of our results below...

Photo by Michael Grossman

Diamond Around

by Nayrouz A. ElAzzabi

One her, one them!
Blue carpet inside, cloudy sky outside.
Standing teacher sin here, sitting students in there.
Scattered papers on the table,
Passing ideas in my mind.
It's in here, it's in there.
Look around, look inside.
Outside is a pattern, inside a miracle.
Systematic organs, organized systems.
White blood cell, red blood cell.
Take O2 in, let CO2 out.
Inhale in a way, exhale in another way.
Let it in, let it out.
It is a pattern, ain't it?!
What is that, who is that?
One circle, one line.
Does it have a pattern?
Does it exist?
Is it here? Is it here?
Yes, it is all in a pattern.

Photo by Michael Grossman