Elation

A high bluff overlooking the sea; 
You ring the bell of a solitary 

Whitewashed chapel, the blue sky swells 
With undulating tintinnabulations, 

The earth moves imperceptibly 
Under your feet. 

Invocation

Muse, don’t play with me— 
I don’t have the time 

To deal with matters 
Of the sublime— 

Just jack me off 
And get it over with. 

Found Poem: Le Mal du Pays

Dear Mr. Porchia, 

I found a copy of your Voices at the goodwill outlet 
Ready for the trash bin and rescued it 
Because it was bold enough 
To feature one of my favorite 
Magritte paintings as its cover— 
You know, the one with a man leaning 
On the edge of a bridge, looking 
At the water, with a lion behind him 
Looking the other way — 
Before then, I did not know 
Poetry could be one or two lines alone. 

I think I’ll keep it. 

Epiphany

We closed our eyes

And then the heavens 
Opened and we heard 
That unmistakable sound 

Of rain arriving hard on the wings 
Of an insistent wind, 
Our eyelids softly fluttering. 


NB: First appearance here one year ago, January 6, 2012.

  

Huuklyeand Cinquor on Keeping One's Word

My gray-haired mentor used to urge me 
When you write, write one word at a time 
But keep it under your hat, boy! 
I was a tyro and thought it strange advice 
Indeed but kept my word out of respect, 
Which is why years later I have so many 
Of his bloody little louses sucking 
My gray matter dry. 

Moderator's comments: I suspect the inspiration for this "poem" is fragment 92 of Heraclitus, to wit:

All men are equally mystified by unaccountable evidence, even Homer, wisest of the Greeks. He was mystified by children catching lice. He heard them say, What we have found and caught we throw away, what we have not found and caught we still have. 

(translated by Guy Davenport)

Crystal

Huzzah! 

Such dazzling lithesomeness 
To be taken in slow 

Sips from a long-stemmed glass! 

New Year's Resolution

One more last day of the year— 

Remember the last time 
You heard its calling 
And vowed the next time 
Would be the last time 

You did not adhere.