73. sleight of eye

 

of the hand | of

your word | of the

drawing | out

seems your | breath

animates | it all

seems the | flurry

of control | and color

how the | balance

of the shape | and

the word | hold

in a place | if not

in place | in sight

of sleight | of eye

or the quick | slips

those shapes | a

slight | of hand

sure of | eye

that keeps | even

a smallest | thing

from falling | over

 

the word | left (or

left) | as a letter

is lifted | it rises

coheres into | its

full & only | self

it concentrates

moving | motion-

less | ly | but

in torque | and

tension | of a

tiny | stable and

motionlessful

thing | given

flight of | worth

by steady | tension

of the eye | in

place yet | in

places | taking

up | because

taking over | it

 

the word | as

mold | as virus

as | onething

dangerous | &

secretive | never

revealing | its

whole | & old

self | just riding

its | sense out

of our | mind

& body | as

we won | der

if the | poem

surrounds us

if we | live in

side it | or we

envelop | all

of it | as we

suck | this

poem | back in