The Calculus of Three Small Words

another final version of earlier work.

Elsewhere, I have it on good authority 

clocks keep time -- the slow melt 

of mountains creep toward clarity, 

comprehension of spring 

trickle of rivers winding through 

verdant valleys to sun-singed coasts -- 

the rudimentary basics of a calculus, 

three small words neither of us bothered to master.

What I know of differentiation is the sum 

of its splintering syllables. Factoring 

fractures demand the heart understand 

polynomial equations far greater than 

the butterfly integers fluttering about our heads --

Euler, Bayes, more so than Yeats or Byron.

How the aerodynamics of gnats twitter

Ment’rami’en kemê, Aspi’rami’en kemê, 

may as well be the shards of an obsidian rain’s 

sharp end to Manet’s midday snack of bathers --

the architecture of a bullet. 

Perhaps this was how love was always meant 

to unravel. Or it could be 

we are simply too simple to grasp the obvious 

implications of a moment unlike all the others.

I won’t presume to know the odds of our surviving 

another winter, slip-sliding the certain avalanche.

If, when they dig us out in the spring, 

they find eight fingers clenched to the cold icicle 

of regret, or two noses tucked inside 

the petals of a rose --

if the answers to such questions exist, 

they’re where time drifts on currents 

more opaque than the skins of glass 

we traced along the shadow ridge of spirits 

bathing in the soft knell of a lazy carillon --

beyond the horizon edging toward a sunset.

Ken e Bujold

Author's Note

for those who wish to examine the process of revision early work is still here under title of Three Small Words.
Ment’rami’en kēmê, Aspi’rami’en kēmê, modern translation of ancient Egyptian: loosely reads as "the sign, the language of Egypt"

Reviews

[W. Barrett Munn]

One possibility - “we are simply too simple to grasp”

might be fun-though not as accurate-as
“we are simply too simple to sample the obvious”

[Ken e Bujold]

interesting thought, i will give it serious consideration

[W. Barrett Munn]

Ken,

Don’t know if this was intentional but in “the slow melt of mountains” the adverbial phrase “slow melt” is the subject and singular so the agreement should be “creeps”.

Winston

[Ken e Bujold]

yep, corrected in final proof, just to busy/lazy to correct here

[Neville]

this must surely rank write up there near, the very top comfortably perched amongst your finest poetry yet .. I would have liked to award it more than the full 100/100 that I am permitted to pin to it .. Neville

[Ken e Bujold]

thanks Nev. This is another of the final edits of work intended for my upcoming collection. The early versions were workshopped here, and the generous reviews and reactions of people such as yourself had a lot to do with the final crafting. Through all of the insights I received, those with reviews, as well as those who didn't (sheer number counts do give an indication of how a work is coming across) were of an absolute invaluable assistance. So once again, thanks

ken

[Neville]

Such a pleasure Ken :)