Broken Hearted Villanelle For Dolly Parton

 
Oh Dolly, it felt like you were still in the middle of your prime,
an aunt or friend, someone we’d confide in and trusted for so long.
I’m not alone— the world thought we had more time

for another Dolly-ism and you to wash away our country’s grime,
but it wasn’t fair to expect your good deeds to counter all our wrong.
Dolly, you never stopped working, a creative genius in her prime,

whether making us laugh or taking out your pen for a tear-jerking rhyme.
Any day ending in “y” was the perfect day for you to drop a new song.
We are legion, and, truly Dolly, we all thought we had more time

to watch you do your thing—a new Broadway show, a coffee line,
and the SongTeller Hotel in Nashville. In our lives is where you belong,
even if it is just us browsing through your merch on Amazon Prime.

You left Sevierville on a bus the day after graduation, ready to climb
the country music charts. “Joshua,” your first #1 hit is a fiery song.
With all your pizzazz, it’s no wonder that we thought we had more time.

I’ve only lived in a world where you exist, and losing you feels like a crime
against humanity. You deserve your rest, but I can’t say farewell or so long.
Dolly, I was a closeted little gay boy who started idolizing you in your prime.
I’m not alone— no one wanted a world where you’d run out of time.

***

(Featured image by Flickr user Timothy Wildey; used under CC BY-NC 2.0)