Aria

--Bruce Beasley

The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it

whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his

circuits.

                –Ecclesiastes 1:6

Blessed we

who hanker

after air

Our mouths will fill

again again with what we tongue-

and inner-cheek-mould

it into

Syllable-coalescences

Alphabets named for what

alphas and betas compose them:

ordinal ordained and spirit-breathed and literal

—Meaning-born and -bearing, like sung

lyrics as they’re threshed

off music with a flail

a flagellum and hurled

to be winnowed

by the wind—what’s

chaff what’s flesh what the

saved

grain its dropped

seed       A word

I need a word with you

When the wind bears away the melodious

air

virginal harpsichordal

O Lord I need with you a winnowed

word Not that

departed

deconsonanted devowelled and

utterless blown air