Sestina: Home and Homing

My home is not at all a common place

No well-walked way leads close at all to there

No noise of traffic will disrupt the ear

The seasons do not change from spring to fall

Perhaps the ringing of some far-off bell

Will give a sign of life that lives nearby

II

And oh the love that I shall there live by!

In dreams and daydreams I can glimpse this place

Before I’m rudely wakened by the bell

The magic in your sparkling eyes is there

Your tumbling, auburn hair does fairly fall

The slightest sound cannot escape your ear

III

To all your thoughts and thinkments I’ll give ear

The undulating rhythms I’ll live by

Is there a house built o’er a waterfall?

Is there a keen existence without place?

Is there a where or when if there’s no there?

I launch myself towards you with a bell

IV

In noisesome days there sounds a single bell

It’s often missed by too distracted ear

A pitch that reaches here from other there

In frenzied life time passes quickly by

We scurry purposeless from place to place

Before we know, young spring turns soon to fall

V

You left so soon— you did untimely fall

I knew not why, when tolled that cruel bell

Who’ll tell me why I was left in this place?

One half a whole, one hand, one lonesome ear

This solitary heart must needs get by

And who is there to guard you when you’re there?

VI

I understand it’s not a time or there

I think there’s gentle roar of waterfall

And graceful, leaping figures dance nearby

A fiery light and softly singing bell

The sound of crickets might well greet the ear

I’ll home in to, beyond all time and place

Tornada

The bell will lead my homing, eager ear

To place that’s not a place and not a there

I’ll fall to you and never say goodbye