Peter Galen Massey

Three Blues on The Delaware

The soul of the world sings in blue, sapphire
Midnight cerulean stone periwinkle Aegean
Egyptian steel, shadow shimmer, silver glint,
Flow tide breeze and sun, musics of smooth
Chaos soft violence restlessness dissolution
Concord mystery beauty revelation change,
My blood singing back to the singing waters.

Furious machines burning anger, fume and
Rage to the choke point, ferocity of sound,
From here all silence and twinkle, sweeping
Slow rise and fall, rust blistered blue towers,
Harp-strung, Buddha serene, light and heavy,
A mountain of stone and steel engineered to
Rise like thought and dance in the delicate air.

Spring has uncorked all her bottles, pours her
Sparkling vintage into the coupe of May with
A liberal hand. Winter’s damp gloom is swept
From the vaulting sea and a convoy of cloud
Blusters at full sail. I will fill my pockets with
Rubies and expectations, book passage on a
Perfect merchantman and trade with heaven.

Thanks to Philadelphia Stories for publishing Three Blues on The Delaware in the Summer 2016 issue.