Cento

Kevin posted the following in his blog:

"A cento is a poem composed of verses or passages taken from other authors, disposed in a new form or order. So says Wikipedia."

He also posted a cento he'd written. Intrigued, I decided to try writing one as well. Every line is from a different poem; the only exception is: "Is it really you/rising from the script of waves." I just couldn't separate those two lines, so I kept them both. This was fun.

*

Love is a shadow.

I have been flickering, off, on, off, on.
A Candlemas of moving lights along Route 80;
Glowing like turquoise.

Write this. A word may be shaped like a bed, a basket of tears or an X.
The clear vowels rise like balloons.
Ink runs from the corners of my mouth.

But you were everywhere beside me, masked,
the fission of music into syllabic heat –
enough daubed here and there with a little ink.

Is it really you
Rising from the script of waves?

You take my hand; then we’re alone.
Then I am you and you are me.

The sun burns through the walls.