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steel & momentum: a sestina
by Kelly Jensenintending to scatter reason like an outer shell
of an oyster, he takes note
of her. his paper, a silk-smooth gloss
brand, conceals the moment on a half-leaf.
summer air steps through his fence, ties
inhibition like a greasy finger in a fan
snapping apart flimsy Japanese fans
decorated with corrugated beams & a shell.
his knuckles tremble, shuffling the tie
he chose: earlier, slick-looking and attention-seeking. she’ll later note
the stain seeping onto the green leaf
while applying lip gloss
with a sigh. the cherry-hued gloss
stands alert, slips into the pores. fanning
his insatiable urge to swallow the bay leaf
in his pasta, he impales a shell
smothered in red juices. he scribbles a note
soon delivered across the diner. the waitress serves a mai-tai,
shakes the glass. nervous laughter. he unties
his shoes, slips them off & shuffles on the glossy
pine floorboards. he receives her reply to the note,
carefully maneuvers a patch of carpet (not a fan
of the shady stains). she chokes on her shell
necklace, particles descending elementary. he adds a leaf
to his table, observing other singles shyly leafing
through novels, hoping to discover a tie
between the cream-whites of egg shells
and sea-fevered beached mammals. he glosses
the scene again, reevaluates, waves a fan
to his face. the piano bulges with grace notes.
his intentions shift. the pianist’s notes
reflect the mellow lime radiating like a leaf
on his drink. he fans
his face -- she’d held the g-sharp tie
long enough. he envisioned black & whites, glossy
finishes with the piano in the back. he’d shell
out all the c-notes necessary & remove his tie.
she finishes, fishes out the lead stuck in her glossary
of style. the paper fan would clean their dismembered shells.
05/17/2007 Posted on 05/18/2009
Copyright © 2025 Kelly Jensen
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Jo Halliday on 05/18/09 at 02:09 AM what a stunning picture and how well composed! Has to go down in my favorites. A theme I have been trying to tackle since a year, though in prose, and you've done it so marvellously here: daunting really for me :) |
| Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 05/25/10 at 05:39 PM Incredible imagery, tension, give and take. Loved the various use of "shell", the fan throughout, the clever passing of notes, the subtle undressing. Amazing. Congrats on POTD! |
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