Jaimie Gusman on the theme of “Villanelle.”
A Substance
(This villanelle was constructed by using lines from Gertrude Stein’s poem “A Substance in aCushion” from Tender Buttons inspired by Bernadette Mayer Exercises #65, #71, and #74)
In any kind of place a little calm is so ordinary,
as if it is one piece that uses the whole as the cover.
There is sweetness and some of that calamity.
Sugar is not a vegetable; table and chair is not three.
When dirt is clean there is a volume of color
in any kind of place. A little calm is so ordinary,
it is (extreme) and (very likely ) little things could be
callous. Hardening and callous is something that together
there is sweetness and some of that calamity.
Suppose that a very little difference is prepared change:
Change gratitude, change mistake, rate of feather?
In any kind of place a little calm is so ordinary
blue light, purple preparation, a thing likely
a costume; is it any worse for the case of an oyster?
There is sweetness and some of that calamity
supposing a violent place, a place that thing be
as red as a fancy girl—a bargain and dearer!
In any kind of place a little calm is so ordinary,
there is sweetness and (some of) that calamity.
Author Biography
Jaimie Gusman lives in Honolulu where she is a PhD candidate at the University of Hawaii, teaches creative writing and composition, and runs the M.I.A. Art & Literary Series. Her work has been published nationally and internationally by Hearing Voices, Hawaii Women’s Journal, Tinfish Press, Spork Press, Shampoo, Anderbo, Juked, Barnwood, DIAGRAM, Dark Sky Magazine, 2 River Review, The Dirty Napkin Review, and others. She has a chapbook coming out from Tinfish Press, as well as a chapbook coming out from Highway 101 press this year.