Villanelle of Villanelles

Your love is surely better than strong wine,
The scent of fragrant perfume is your name,
With kisses of your loving mouth come kiss me.

I am black and comely, I am thine,
My brothers claim that I am lacking shame;
When I’m absent from you, do you miss me?

Rows of regal jewels your neck entwine,
Frankincense provides your breasts a fragrant frame;
With kisses of your loving mouth come kiss me.

Cedars’ beams are in our humble shrine,
Huge cypresses provide the walls a frame,
When I’m absent from you, do you miss me?

With apples and with raisin cakes let’s dine,
Gazelles and hinds run with the other game;
With kisses of your loving mouth come kiss me.

Place me on your heart, a loving sign.
Seal me on your heart with Yahweh’s flame,
But though I burn I need no anodyne;
With kisses of your loving mouth come kiss me.

About the Author

Gershon Hepner is a poet who has written over 25,000 poems on subjects ranging from music to literature, politics to Torah. He grew up in England and moved to Los Angeles in 1976. Using his varied interests and experiences, he has authored dozens of papers in medical and academic journals, and authored "Legal Friction: Law, Narrative, and Identity Politics in Biblical Israel." He can be reached at gershonhepner@gmail.com.