Bridgeport (A Sestina)

Born and reared in the city of Bridgeport,

where the trash arose from Long Island Sound.

The seagulls appeared, then vanished from sight,

wafting and diving through radiant sky.

Some inlets and harbours, lapping the shore,

while sounds of young voices screamed with delight.

 

Marvelous moments to form our delight.

Skipping through the busy streets of Bridgeport.

Heading south down Park, to visit the shore.

Where all you could hear was the visual sound,

of airplanes and balloons, gracing the sky,

alive in my mind but quite out of sight.

 

The crystalline sparkle came into sight,

to everyone’s pure and simple delight.

We watched as the clouds emerged from blue sky,

over the stunted skyline of Bridgeport.

Suddenly the clamour, the noise, the sound

came crashingly close to the rocky shore.

 

With silence removed from that muffled sound,

bemoaning the graphite and speckled sky.

Searching and groping for inner delight.

pasteurized thoughts over the sandy shore.

Memorized pictures brought into our sight,

a lost time; in the bowels of Bridgeport.

 

Sail boats and tankers came upon the shore,

out of the distance, and into my sight.

All I could hear was breath of the sound,

with glee, laughter, and a certain delight.

The slums became the city of Bridgeport,

reaching endlessly toward the dancing sky.

 

Adrift; at peace, and awashed by the sound,

flippantly airy as ground touched the sky.

I strolled and smiled with love lost delight,

scampered along on our copious shore.

Aware that my flight was love at first sight,

on the coast, in the city of  Bridgeport.

 

Amped delight amid the light of our sound

misconstrued Bridgeport scraped close to the sky,

up to the shore and again out of sight.

 

 

April 10, 2011

Author's Note

A sestina: 6 sestets (6 line stanzas) usually unrhymed but not necessarily, and a final tercet. Traditionally on keeps the same line length. The words at the end of each line in the first stanza are repeated in the following fashion for the subsequent 5 stanzas. 1) 123456 2) 615243 3) 364125 4) 532614 5) 451362 6) 246531 In the closing tercet, each of the six words are used, with one in the middle of each line and one at the end in this order (..6...2) (..1..4) (..5..3)

Reviews

[Lily Mae]

I love it.. :) x

[KATHY SUE SILLS]

A beautiful journey you took me on!

[TJ]

Very good. And your poetic knowledge is inpressive

[Ladysue]

this is very lyrical...I have never used this form..but you do wonders with it..giving life to Bridgeport...nicely done..

[Sunni Davis]

I really enjoyed taking this trip to Bridgport with you, Allen. I feel as if I've walked down these streets, listening to you point out the sights. And I appriciated your author's note. I'm always trying to learn more about the technical side of writing poetry. Thank you!

[Brad]

thanks for takin us back with you...could sense everything around us, like i was there

[Cherrie Palmer]

this was a very balanced piece I enjoyed reading and this line was my favorite...All I could hear was breath of the sound,...

[G. K. Bostic]

This is brilliant.....I love it! Thanks for you lovely comments on Carpe Diem, and to answer your question, yes, I have written a sestina....ONE, that was enough. I just recently gave it a shot and found it quite challenging. My result does not begin to compare to yours, but if you'd like to check it out, it's at:
http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/gbostic5/677602/ (Light and Life) This work of yours is excellent....makes me want to visit Bridgeport! :)

[Mark]

What a joy, to find another who embraces the old forms, and with such alacrity! I have two sestini posted here, "Labile", and "A Foreboding Drum", written well over twenty years ago, I'm sure. There's another fellow here (at least I think markymark is still here), who also does Sestini (though I don't remember their titles at the moment), as well as Villanelles, to which he introduced me. I will refer him to you, though, and he can tell you. My VIllanelle, FYI, is called "Old Soldier". I should be most grateful to hear your thoughts on these three pieces, if you get a moment.