The Lyric
--Tom Clark 

Suffering
lament, sorrow and wild
joy commingle in 

the lyric—a collective
sigh of relief comes cascading
out of the blue— 

a yearning to submerge
in life like the swimmer
in the pool forgetful 

immersed and quenched—
water trailing scattered
diamonds in a rustling 

voice of resigned subsidence
as though in the same stroke
everyone alive were speaking through you—