Attach a lure of patience to my hook
To catch a word or phrase I recognize.
I drop my line into his babbling brook;
Exotic fish, his murmurs mesmerize.
To net his point and reel his message in
I stay here by his stream, this school of sound.
I don’t cut bait, I cast my line again.
I angle for his tale – it can’t be found.
that cynking feeling 
this is both gorgeous and crushing. i love every word.
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Thank you. Funny, it was easier to write this poem rather than explain in a nonfiction essay how I feel trying to understand Philip’s speech.
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Perfect iambic pentameter. Perfect rhyme. Fantastic wordplay, and jeez, the story you tell. I loved every word.
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I was outside playing with Philip,whispering the lines to make sure I got the meter right. And then I just put in “da dums” until I could find words that fit.
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That’s totally how I do it!
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Just lovely.
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Wow, Cyn. Amazing!
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As Christine commented, this poem is a polished gem. And I think I’ve had conversations with the fellow you describe.
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Thank you. While I sometimes I feel like this is my own personal struggle to comprehend, I was hoping others could relate.
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This is full of gorgeousness, Cyn. Pitch perfect from beginning to end. And bittersweet. Love that opening line best — it says so much.
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Adding that first line really made the difference in having this come together, so I’m glad you liked it.
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Cyn schools in meter, rhyme, extended metaphor…brilliant. My favorite lines are #1 and #4.
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I’m glad you liked those lines. Neither was in the first version but both captured something that I wanted to convey.
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Wonderful rhythm and rhyme, and such a clear picture you paint! I could both see the metaphor and feel the reality of what you were describing. And I really love that you noted this was easier as a poem than a non-fiction. That’s really the beauty of having all these different formats to play with.
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The imagery, the solid metaphors and similes, the rhyme, the meter, the incorporation of the prompt, the ultimate message. So so good, Cyn. Congrats on delving down and bringing back up the poet we all knew you were.
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I think you deserve some credit. I loved all the archery words in our “Stone Boat” microstory.
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Domain specific vocabulary tends to bring rich words to writing. It is probably the tool I use most.
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W.O.W.
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