Finding the Tangent
1. Once drawn
the simple line is immutable,
for straight into the flat glass
flies the flicker,
it had to happen,
that instant of hard unexpected
invisible contact
to which the world is susceptible
2. You can’t move an inch
without the tangle of touch,
synapses keep firing even in an empty room
and outside the sliding glass door
the poor bird can no longer
peck wood and the cat
becomes interested in math.
Studying the broken angle
in the slope of the bird’s neck,
you barely breathe
3. Place your life anywhere within
a perfect circle, this will give you hope
all is contained, now imagine a fly
caught in an infinite web,
its futile disturbance is its function,
its function is its futile disturbance
5 thoughts on "Finding the Tangent"
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Three precise and elegant parts come together so well. Dang, Jim. I really enjoyed this one. I love how the detail in the second section ends with empathy.
“Studying the broken angle/in the slope of the bird’s neck,/you barely breathe”
Yes, birds and windows should not tangle. Lesson of math and life.
the poor bird can no longer
peck wood and the cat
becomes interested in math. – !!
That third stanza! Such a great image for this life.
What a haunting poem.
I agree with all of the above !!!
And
Incredible lines breaks and I think it looks great on the page as well