Grief is the seed of singing
Kim Stafford “Citizen of Dark Times”
Notes have not yet lifted from the strings
nor been shaped by trumpet’s valves.
The rhythm is still waiting for the wind
to circle through sensations’ sound.
Harmony will slide into its place
once themes are embraced, esteemed.
A melody gives shape to lines of thought
and only then we’ll sense the counterpoint
against the point that wants
to question what we feel, until it tips
from what we say to what we do,
drops in tears on the page
and softens, spreads its grief
into a song not written until now.
Linda Conroy, a retired social worker, writes about the complexities of human nature and our connection to the natural world, finding the strength of that connection can go far in maintaining composure in these sometimes harried days. She is the author of two poetry collections, Ordinary Signs and Familiar Sky.