Penance

Today I found an interesting premise
A fellow poet atoned for a failing
by writing a villanelle for penance

Who would assign such a sentence?
I could answer, but that would be telling,
And it certainly seemed an interesting premise

I could imagine a sort of vengeance
on the part of poetry gods, ranting and railing,
as they assigned her a villanelle for penance

But she seemed, by her admission and acceptance,
ready to take on the task without quailing;
All in all it was an interesting premise;

One might think of it as mere repentance,
but it was more like a friendly kvelling,
at having to write villanelles as a penance

I can think of few things more ego-swelling,
And even fewer that would prove smooth sailing,
But I found it to be an interesting premise,
That she wrote a villanelle for penance.