Benjamin Pierce
Making The Rounds xxvii

wings must harden air to flee the earth

to flee the earth ice must melt and breathe and scatter

ice must melt and breathe and scatter, sky must grab and drop it wet

sky must grab and drop it wet to taste the earth in flying ice

to taste the earth in flying ice the light must soak the sky

the light must soak the sky that plunges to night to quench a thirst

that plunges to night to quench a thirst which can be stone and can have wings

a thirst which can be stone and can have wings wakes the mud to life

the mud to life must rise and life to mud must seep

and life to mud must seep to flee the earth

the mud to life must rise, wings must harden air

Benjamin Pierce
Making the Rounds xxviii

to shift some inward weight I stir the world to motion

I stir the world to motion with one single incongruity for my fulcrum

with one single incongruity for my fulcrum I see all the world tracking balance

I see all the world tracking balance to shift some inward weight

I stir the world to motion to ask where stillness ever entered me

Benjamin Pierce
Making The Rounds xxxiv

I seek to dance a single act I can bestow to we

a single act I can bestow to we begrudge us each

we begrudge us each a single arbiter of one for all

a single arbiter of one for all we betoken our nameless whole

we betoken our nameless whole a space as generous as emptiness is free

a space as generous as emptiness is free I seek to dance a single act.

Benjamin Pierce
Making The Rounds xxxv

we seek a time of finite line to flavor circle’s certainty

to flavor circle’s certainty we taste the past in what we see ahead

we taste the past in what we see ahead to forget the hunger in our fullest feast

to forget the hunger in our fullest feast has left us blind to winter’s augury

our fullest feast has left us blind to winter’s augury and our hunger doubts the spring

winter’s augury and our hunger doubts the spring that deeply melts us

the spring that deeply melts us cut a ravine where we are driest dust

cut a ravine where we are driest dust we seek the sky from our driest bottom

we seek the sky from our driest bottom taking faith from midnight’s gift of dew

taking faith from midnight’s gift of dew we draw a circle to augur our rising

we draw a circle to augur our rising to make a coin for our descent to pay

to make a coin for our descent to pay the hard round’s promise of ascent

to pay the hard round’s promise of ascent we seek a time of finite line.