To a Young Poet Resisting Hopkins

Summary

Don't even try to understand the logic of a rhyme

that rises on wing-feather to achieve lift of line.

Song is what takes hollow bone and makes a wing,

leading edge of wing, wind-hover adrift of line.

Blind-bright sun on feathers will give shape

to flight. Translate that, its fine sift of line.

Now you have music. Meaning springs from language

like a fledgling full-formed on the shift of line.

Here's longing sprung from brooded egg, broken

empty shells, the bare-bone body, shrift of line.

Take flight, leave the shell behind. Unfurl

these wings to sail, spendthrift of line.