Quartet: The Origami Barge
Autumn in Venice -
a passenger boards
the origami barge
a spice so sweet,
the moonlight on silk
calculus
at the edge of thought
escaping resolution
no other purpose
but to disturb the dust
healing the scars
from boiling henna
in an iron pan
a barrel of lant
to tan the walrus hide
his anorak
put on backwards
the shaman does the deed
praise and thanks
for the bride's virginity
little lambs cavort
as well they ought
and not be naughty
his dog cherry cane
clack-clacking down the path
it's the ocean
you can smell from here,
the boundless sky above
the wild pearl
unaware of imperfection
I stole a kiss
that night we met
the ferris wheel broke down
you promised me a ride
in a red convertible
a rumble in the switchyard,
distant train horns
long and low
the monkey and his master
do the rounds
Tzetzka: 1, 5, 8, 12, 14
John: 3, 6, 9, 11, 16
Willie: 2, 4, 7, 10, 13, 15
Tzetzka Ilieva, Marietta, Georgia, USA
John Carley, Rossendale, Lancashire, England
William Sorlien (sabaki), St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
The Origami Barge first appeared in A Hundred Gourds 3:2
