hymn 2

 

a road and railway the longest ever ribbed
the deepest steel ever sunk to cross but for this


passage worship a radical metallic sound • brass
for vehicular for varied, confusing elements and pressure clever


positioning of support objects such as arms, two shore
abutments and piers • adjustment of pairs • seeming


to give way precludes vulnerability suspension or draw
bridges, miles and miles water wants lock, constraint


of dams, rocks contain tenderness within willing
and unknown amounts of wrought • iron, a curious


chance, necessity to touch insufficient strength of alternative
material • rigging particular that face square with points


pose difficulties for travelers unable to construct false works •
or expressions devised invitations to close arches one


year of opening

 

hymn 2


within two days a quake to strike New Madrid • what
tidal peaks could trigger in high tectonic stress, the curious


appeal of tension between two opposing
forces what bands of earth subject to possibility


of a measured 7.0 or higher • a relatively short
memory, 12/3, 4:56,only worry missouri,


neighboring states, schools closed, we in tandem
hiding under support objects such as arms, desks, door


frames to protect our heads from falling
walls, ceiling splinter, books stray, prepare to carom


wait for warping, ejection, fissure, caving the same
river only differ in name here or there a dark


ribbon reverse the current flow backwards like 1811, like
1811 parishes shift allegiance, church bells • listen


from the other side (1812, like 1812)