Labile

The Sestina is an old and very challenging form. It's been twenty years since I wrote my first two, and TODAY I encountered another writer doing them: YIPPEEEE!! This is about how disempowering Labelling others is, how our Fear cripples us.

LABILE

An irregularity more or less Spinal
Has burdened me with a life-long Label:
"Handicapped", despite which I strive Upstream
In my eternal struggle to Countermand
Society's bias, but my incessant Gyration
Serves but them to further Terrify.

But I do not wish to Terrify
Them, nor did I request this Spinal
Oddity, which afflicts me on occasion with Gyration
I cannot foresee. Therefore they Label
Me: "Epileptic". Now it is my mission to Countermand
A million misconceptions from Upstream

In History; so far, in fact, Upstream
Their genesis is unknown! What could Terrify
Some simple innocent so severely as to Countermand
Reason? Whence began the Spinal
Tremor, so pronounced that the village elders did Label
Him, "Spastic", ands strive to burn the Gyration

Out of him? Did a Shaman's Gyration
While in the throes of a trance so far Upstream
From their understanding, that they could but Label
Him, "Witch", which he then turned against them, to Terrify,
And to confound? Did here begin the Spinal
Trepidation that none might Countermand?

"Why do you call on US to Countermand
"The Un-learning of our Fathers? It is YOUR Gyration
"Which appalls us, YOUR Disconcerting Spinal
"Dance that we shun! Our fears began generations Upstream
"From us! If you would but cease to Terrify
"Us, though, we might try not to Label!"

Why could they not instead append the Label,
"Friend"? Would calling me "Man" so Countermand
Their misanthropic mindset? I confess, it does Terrify
Me, to consider their disorientation in this Gyration
Of comprehension, as they, unwilling, struggle upstream,
In their querulous quest for an awareness more Spinal!


Their tendency to Label that which they fear spawns a Gyration
Of spirit, which will Countermand those aspirations so far Upstream
From their baser drives that they Terrify them, at a level wholly Spinal.


December 7, 1988 (envoy added January 14, 2003)

Reviews

[R J Askew]

A hard-working sestina on a serious topic which is well thought out, honest and challenging to those filled with fear at the unknown, unusual and imperfect. There was a training centre near where I used to live years ago 'The Spastic Centre' it was called. The name has been changed now. While some rebrandings seem hard to fathom this one does not as the last thing people with physical drawbacks need to bear is prejudice. The words 'terrify' and 'trepidation' catch my eye. I think the poem turns the table on the tormentor by making fear and ignorance seem greater handicap.

[TL Boehm]

Bravo! Sestinas are well. Every word I'm thinking about is dirty I have one here at the cafe. ONE. I believe its called Broken - and I reposted it yesterday. Coincidence I suppose.

[Mark]

Thank you TL for your generous and thoughtful comments. I am off to read "Broken" now.

[Allen Smuckler]

Holy Moly...what were you thinking about...I suppose they make sense given the topic, but to willingly choose those six words to work with...whoa! To be honest with you Mark, I had some difficulty reading it...I found it difficult to get into a rhythm, but maybe that was your plan. I guess I'm a little traditional in that when I come to the end of a sentence or stanza I expect it to end. Punctuation, which appears to be random at times confuses me more. In addition Mark, the syntax in this particular poem was just too choppy and convoluted (again maybe by choice) for me...
That being said, being a fellow gyrator, I certainly felt and understood this powerful and difficult poem. I do know from whence you come and appreciate how difficult it is to write in this form. I just think it needs some work..in my humble opinion. But who the hell wants to rework a sestina? :)
allen

[Breezie Kae]

This is a great write. I love the very interesting word choice. You don't see the word "gyration" very often.

[W.k.kortas]

One of the difficulties with sestinas--and God only knows how difficult they are--is that, if you are not careful with the end words you pick, you find yourself in a bit of a box where you have to awkwardly shoe-horn in structure and meter to serve the words. In using "gyration", "countermand", and "spinal", I think you have chosen words with such limited meanings, which I think forces some difficult wording and structural choices on the piece. The central theme is presented fairly effectively, but the piece as a whole is weakened by some unfortuante choices for the end words.

[David Lewis Paget]

I must admit, I'm not familiar with the 'Sestina', nor do I see quite how it works. There is a repetitive quality here in the words 'spinal', 'label', 'gyration', (with trepidation), but as I'm also not au fait with the condition, my understanding is limited. Interesting however, that we suffer from historical ignorance that persists against modern knowledge.

[Rick Puetter]

Dear Mark,

Again a wonderful, difficult write. You do manage to magically fit significant messages and sincere emotions in a near seamless way into this difficult format. Congratulations!

Very best regards,

Rick

[Sheila Kline]

Dear Mark!
I must admit that this write is "above" my understanding of format, though I can detect the flow of the explanations of the handicap, and how it has caused labelling, and fear by those who are unable, or do not want to understand the nature of it.
It sounds as if it has caused much distress, and for this I am truly moved to feel compassion because of such a lack of acceptance by others.
Your Sister-Friend, Sheila
(and, I am happy that you have found another today who also writes using this poetry format!)