https://imprompt.wordpress.com/2020/07/29/last-call/
in learning how to live
the jungle becomes lush
soft-bellied bird landing
through the trees comes a voice
look who comes to visit!
with that light comes vision
what is in that vision?
now the broadcast is live
and in person. visit
your love in garden lush
gift them with your soft voice
cherry petals landing
softly all around, landing
pink before your vision
like pink snow. lift your voice
joyfull to be alive
cherry blossom pink flush
visits your snow white cheeks
like angels, in visit-
ation, realization landing
like thorns amid the lush
bleeds away gloom from vision
learning what it means to live
truly, and speak in voices
clear and strong, loud pure voice
bring that gift when you visit
the one only you live
borne in arms strong, landing
completing epic vision
even the dust seems lush
so what if they blush
or lie with their voices
bring darkness to vision
remember our visits
gear down, prepare for landing
this is what it means to live
god doesn’t come to visit
every garden is lush
coming home is like landing
this song is in every voice
live the fire in your heart
eyes are useless without vision
20200730
a sestina after the prompt at https://imprompt.wordpress.com/2020/07/29/last-call/ May you learn to live, quickly now. And by you, i also mean me. Thank you for reading.
added to the pantry https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/2020/08/writers-pantry-31-here-comes-august.html?m=1
erbiage 
I know sestinas are difficult to write, but the repetition provides so much depth of feeling. Well done. (K)
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The conclusion of this poem reminds me that often I am deluded because I tend to see what is, and not what can be. In that respect, my eyes are useless—no vision.
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i often wonder what ‘is’
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Yours is an accomplished sestina. And more importantly, I like the images of lushness and beauty your poem calls to mind. May we live the fire in our hearts!
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amen Khaya! insha allah
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Lovely! An amazing braid of images.
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This is such a brilliant and expertly wrought sestina, Eric! š I especially like; “like angels, in visitation, realization landing like thorns amid the lush bleeds away gloom from vision learning what it means to live truly.” You inspire me š
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Thank you Sanaa. now if i can only live what i write! lol.
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I really like the closing couplet. They are, what an old professor or mind would call, an education. So much truth in those words.
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thank you Magaly
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It’s possible to look without seeing, listen without hearing. Wisely those are skills to be honed.
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I’ve just come from reading Joel’s magical piece to this which continues the magic. I love every line.
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ah you mean this one: https://faoinscath.blogspot.com/2020/08/under-black-cherry-tree.html it is very good!
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Yes and yes. š
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bravo! what a marvelous write! greatly enjoyed it
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so my technique for this sestina was to lay out the words where they appear for all the stanzas, then i built bridges from one to the next. this felt like i was merely threading words, like popcorn on a string for the christmas tree. only in the last bit did things start coming together.
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That’s a fascinating approach. I usually write the first verse and then have to figure out where it will take me, which sometimes means a bit of a rewrite of first verse before I can proceed much further. With your technique, where do the original words come from? Do you have some idea of theme or subject before you begin? Is there some other connection between the words you choose? Or do you simply look for wonderful words, jot them down in the random order they occur to you and go from there?
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well it was actually part of the prompt. but on my own i would pick either wonderful words, or words that had some kind of thread, and start weaving from there…
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seeing without vision- much to ponder there as you’ve beautifully tackled this difficult form!
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