Moon Lake, end of September afternoon (XI.17.08) . . . Eagle Cap Wilderness
On the road in the American Northwest.

Here is a little set of three 37-step poems which plays
with the theme of mirrors, of the reflection not just of light,
but also of sound. In order for a variation form like this
to really flower, one needs to do them in sets or sequences.
Try reading them out-loud to get a sense of how the rhythms
and accents change in surprising ways while at the same time
still keeping to the basic 37-step pattern:

Mirrors of Light & Sound

(i)

High walls of contrast,
flat surface of an alpine lake, giv-
ing back the light of clouds and moon

and distant

stars. Mind of Earth, eye
that rejects none, accepting all.



(ii)

Flat, even surface
of neutrality, water re-
flects, receives both a god's self-love,

and the thoughts

of humble fishes
caught in the swirl of a moth's wings.



(iii)

Mirrors made of sound,
piano-forte of my mind,
sets of strings tuned to resonate

with the voice

of Love's sympathy.
O sound of the soul, eternal.

Pine Lakes Camp,
Eagle Cap Wilderness,
Oregon, X.29.2008

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