gesture forms motion matches body whole
succession of poses activates dance
graceful animals
message that brings the gift
heavy metal titans fury
from drops of blood
the Erinyes arose
wave crests of sea foam
birthed Aphrodite
tree root and tree crown balance
“Healthy roots, yer gettin’ quite a deal there.”
the expanse of the leaf crown
at edges where branches reach—
a dripline
place to water & fertilize newly grown roots
ax the “re” from all words
each moment new
as gangs of sages knew
splendent and splendent
and splendent new.
shine on the rootless birds
mountains were rootless birds
in the very beginnings
the roots of the mountains
that hold them in place
calmed the chaos
clouds on their slopes
are remnants of their wings
where we stand, up or out
glow cloud high above rain
pieces of blue
exchange mutability
singularity a wind race
further and forth as up the evaporation goes
gravity another fool game
content has no definition
Alan Casline
May 24-25, 2012
Elsmere, New York
note: A literary form I invented is the "tour of a poem." Starting at first line of the poem you are touring you write along with the poem as you read your way from beginning to the poem's end. The tour itself consists of impressions, reconfigurations of the poems line, echoes of content, flights away from the original poet's text, some back talk if you are in the mood, kenning and lines directly quoted. I have taken the tour of a number of poems over the last few years. Not a study or a critique more a trip over a poet's landscape by an active observer.
Casline at Cloudburst
