Harper

Harper
-- for Bob

"How could," you say, "a harper of such song
sing through so quick a devil in his eye?
Where got he such a balance in his walk
to strut so quick a bridge to dance between
the hell where devils live and work to death
and heavens where such spirits come to life?"

It was, I think, the music of his mind,
the muses that he gave that place for play,
that gave him such a strut, so quick a step.
You have, you see, to hear a certain music
to play a harp and still maintain the dance
--to keep a devil's eye while chasing bliss.

-- John Gidmark, May 2010