In the deep deep darkness a barn owl screeches,
And two dark trains pass quietly in the night,
And at a campfire a father lovingly teaches.

The boy listens intensely as he preaches,
Of love, of hope, and of might.
In the deep deep darkness a barn owl screeches.

He’s been here before; he’s heard these speeches
Of scorn, of despair, and of plight,
And at a campfire a father lovingly teaches.

The father turns to his son and with his hand reaches,
And places his hand on his head gently, just right.
In the deep deep darkness a barn owl screeches.

The father knows of the pain; the son’s emotional breaches
He hands him a pen and pad and tells him to write,
And at a campfire a father lovingly teaches.

He writes words of death and pure white beaches,
Of strength and of sadness and of light.
In the deep deep darkness a barn owl screeches,
And at a campfire a father lovingly teaches.

There it goes. My first villanelle!

Thanks for the challenge, Thom!