I bang this thin sheet...

A poem from Rusty Morrison’s remarkable collection the true keeps calm biding its story (Ahsahta Press, 2008). The book, a meditation on loss, is divided into nine major sections, each section containing six poems of three three-line stanzas – each line must end with the words stop, please, or advise. The lines are right justified.

“sky speaks…”

sky speaks with an accent like worship stop

a temporary lifelessness in your eyes where I pour my waiting palaces stop

the pearliest part of a memory is lost to its lack of consequence please



rub a little chalk on both palms and then reach stop

was I the mad girl eyes white like blossoms stop

or just the rescuer who turned accomplice please



so cold the air is granular against skin’s gray stop

I bang this thin sheet of tin and call it listening stop

do the reckless simply hear the avalanche before the rest of us please advise