The Hear/Saw Bridge

See how it works,
its edge curls from a sliver of light,
sliced from a fanning breath
burning the remnants of ashen violins
that prime the values of three and two
and chamois a glistening on the panes.

Scrape the glaze from a smoky pane
to view the tuning of its inner works.
Press your fingertips on two
strands of pulsating light
that hum in the throat of violins.
Rerouting your passionate breath

from the eddies between the breaths
whispering through the winter panes.
Tremble on the high-wired violin
stepping with the conductor’s work,
not for granted and not too light,
but singular after one from two

songs that make the rain pale after two
full rosaries and a regretful breath
for the sense uncurled by the lighting
of an aria illumined in gleaming panes.
This is how it works,
under the gentle bow of a violin.

Tensile-screw-tight the strings of violins
as you would scrape a sheen on two
skins of maple stretched to its framework.
A spider surfs the tension in your breath
under the mitered corner of the pane
filtering pitch from the treble-light.

Let it rest in the crook, keeping it light,
balanced to the scale of a violin
sweating almond dew onto the panes
in the hollow and echo of the two
notes that shave a gasp from your breath.
That’s how it works,

flinching at two differing lengths of light
to arouse the breath in the violin
and work the bridge to glistening panes.

Can't say anything but wow, someone has had a productive Sunday afternoon.
Thanks for the poem.

Lovely, lovely lines.

larry, i've tried to write sestinas.  they end up clunky and overdone on the page, hard on the ear, and more boring than i care to recall.  this is so fine; the form all but disappears inside the light touch of such perfected details and sounds.  nice.  ld

A true beauty, Larry.

milner

Larry, nice job with a very difficult (in my opinion) form--congrats!--best, Kay Day

Look what popped up!