Villanelle: As You Seek Truth

As you seek truth in a chaos of lies
the city's clamor becomes desert where
you sift sand, winnow out all but the wise.

In the uniformity of franchise
wasteland, you are blinded by billboard glare
as you seek truth in a chaos of lies.

Since in sermons, statistics, slick advice,
one word of truth, one poem, might lies snared,
you sift sand, winnow out all but the wise.

Rainbow wigs, dreams sold for gain, a disguise
of time, of treed--disguise to be laid bare
as you seek truth in a chaos of lies.

From city masks you turn to dunes that rise
with shifting shapes, a wind-blown strand, and there
you sift sand, winnow out all but the wise.

This Herculean task you organize
into a harvest of gems, pure and rare.
As you seek truth in a chaos of lies
you sift sand, winnow out all but the wise.