The Pleasures of Discourse

First peel away the adjectives
to see it. Then feel its edge or easiness 
or ease of edginess.

And wetness, the moisture like
dew heavy in the grass.

Its weight: not artifice, exactly. 
It lengthens mood.

Don’t peel away the punctuation;
you’ll need it soon.

At some point stand back to
see what your inspection reveals.

Stand further back. Stand 
beyond its shadow and feel 
the tone, the whisper of what
you’ve made.

A flattered sense of hum.
A sympathy unshattered 
like a mirror.

MARK SIMPSON

Mark Simpson’s work has appeared in a number of magazines. He is the author of Fat Chance (Finishing Line) and The Quieting (Pine Row Press). He has a Ph.D. in rhetoric and writing and currently tends several acres of forest, fruit, and vegetables. Current residence: Whidbey Island, Washington.