When the stars whistle,
the eldest blade carvers claim the hearth
and set in on the flint.
The rhythm of their strokes
shapes the straightest side
and the tone sharpens the edge.
Behind them with wood and bone,
apprentices learn time and harmony –
bisons snort and paw the ground.
Tom Holmes is the editor of Redactions: Poetry, Poetics, & Prose and the author of six collections of poetry. His writings about wine, poetry book reviews, and poetry can be found at his blog, The Line Break: http://thelinebreak.wordpress.com.
