This came from a workshop with Alicia (AE) Stallings on the triolet. The triolet is a fixed verse form of an 8-line stanza where lines 1, 3, 4, 5 & 7 rhyme and another rhyme for lines 2, 6 & 8. An additional constraint is that the first couplet is repeated at the end and the first line of that couplet is repeated as line 4. Alicia encouraged us to stick rigorously to the form but to play with it by using enjambment and punctuation to change meaning in the repeated lines. We also looked at another fixed verse form, the villanelle – hence my ode to the villanelle in triolet form.
I do not love thee, Villanelle.
My heart does lie with triolet.
My words just tumble out pell-mell.
I do not love thee, villain – hell,
do you read my verses to foretell
just who now leads my heart astray?
I do not. Love thee, Villanelle?
My heart does with trio lay. .