Sonnet#10 Homeward Call

Sonnet #10 Homeward Call

My Father said that faith is strength begun

by acts. The constant sift of dross refines:

a fire beneath the vial of siphoned years.

And I, a son, I’ve strolled away from home.

These days few static words come through my call,

and yet his voice returns, his song surrounds;

like subtle birds, he hears on cobbled streets

the patter, hears the rain of naked feet

and sings with heavy wings that prayerful sound

we chant each day to work, to graves; it’s all

the same. The vast with thunderous steps points home.

The anvil’s fire inside your covered ears,

refines the metal gold, and opens mines

left wrecked in cowered shafts of faith undone.

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There are many things I've accomplished in this poem that I've wanted to do for a while.

1. It's been a while since I've written in form, and of all the forms, the sonnet and the villanelle are my favorites. Writing a sonnet always feels like an achievement.

2. From what I've read in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, I've wanted to write a chiasmus within my poetry. I don't know how obvious it is, but this poem is a full chiasmus all the way.

3. I feel like I have really condensed and compact lines here. I'm trying not to waste words, especially dealing with a sonnet where wasting words would just sound terrible.

Anyway, it took me a couple edits to get this far, but I'm certain there's plenty of tweaking I could do. Let me know if there's anything in particular you liked, didn't like, or didn't get and I'll see what I can do. Thanks!