Sci Fi - Justin

About the writing

Villanelles are hard. They use only two rhyme sounds and have two lines that are repeated four
times each. There’s a good chance that they won’t work out unless you’re very good. With that
knowledge, I started two poems instead of one to hedge the bet that I would have a failure. The
first is based on the Weeping Angels and the second on the Daleks both Doctor Who baddies. As it turns out I was able to complete both. Neither of them is equal or close to the most famous of the form, Dylan Thomas’ Do not go gentle into that good night with its flawless meter, powerful imagery, beauty. However, these are the two finest sci-fi based villanelles I have ever seen. Because I based them on existing lore, if you are not a Whovian, they may not make sense to you. This is where one must consider who the intended audience is. In this case, firstly I write all of this for myself and my brother. I know that he has at least seen Blink, so the Angels poem will work for him. In this case, I watch Doctor Who with my kids - we love the campiness, the touches of gothic horror, the wonderful Britishness – so when I wrote these I had them in mind as well. This week falling between two birthdays in our house, I would like to dedicate these poems to those two children. To Kalena, who loves and is creeped out by the angels and to Dylan who loves the Daleks.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention font for all those typeface fans. Properly these should be read in Gallifreyan, but since most of you couldn’t read it and the TARDIS translation matrix doesn’t convert it, something else needs to be used. I still recommend Book Antiqua for most poetry, but for the campiness of the Daleks as 60s era sci-fi villains, Comic Sans could be appropriate.

Weeping Angels

They're fast as lightning, faster than you think;
If you so much as blink you will be dead.
Don't blink - don't turn your back and don't dare blink.

If at the door you hear the deadbolt clink,
Then keep your eyes wide open, straight ahead;
They're fast as lightning, faster than you think.

The angels' armor has one, just one chink:
When seen they cannot move but just freeze dead.
Don't blink - don't turn your back and don't dare blink.

Was it the statue moving make you shrink
In fear, or was it all inside your head?
They're fast as lightning, faster than you think.

Now alternating eyes you start to wink;
You feel the itch as whites are turning red -
Don't blink; don't turn your back and don't dare blink.

If caught then back in time out o'er the brink
You'll be so heed the words the Doctor said:
“They're fast as lightning, faster than you think.
Don't blink; don't turn your back and don't dare blink.”

Daleks

A metal shell propelled by thoughts of hate,
With plunger, laser whisk, and eye aglow;
Oh hear that chilling cry "EXTERMINATE!"

Oh what has brought this creature to this fate,
To see never a friend but always foe,
In metal shell propelled by thoughts of hate?

A danger surely you cannot abate,
Of whisk and plunger waving to and fro;
Oh hear that chilling cry "EXTERMINATE!"

And bloodlust that your death would hardly sate,
No love or kindness will it ever know,
In metal shell propelled by thoughts of hate.

If heard then it is probably too late
To run - but to run where; where could you go
To flee that chilling cry "EXTERMINATE!"?

But if in time one could initiate
Sweet mercy's thoughts in him that made it so,
Then slow that metal shell propelled by hate
And still that chilling cry "EXTERMINATE!"