Listen

Clock in the bell tower
floods with morning light—
lake of bright water—
hears its tongue strike
wave of wavering tones,
the echoes surge after.

So a poem’s freshness
fills the wakened ear
and E. L. Mayo,
pen raised, said, Listen,
tuned voices of words
in a chorus directed
create by strange magic
a music we know.

    Original Citation
    Periphery (Spring 1974).
    Word Count
    57
    Original Publication
    Date Published
    1974
    Complete Poems
    269
    Theme(s)
    First Line
    Clock in the bell tower
    Poetic Form
    open
    References and Commentary
    E. L. Mayo (1904-79) was a poet who taught at universities in Iowa and interviewed Hearst for his radio show.