In the distance, there lingered over the hills, a fine mist.
Hand shielding her eyes from the whipping wind, stood the Girl.
Her breath billowed in the cold like the smoke of a fire.
She thought of home, and the kitchen - Nan’s room, and His room.
She thought of the three of them, how they had shared so much love.
But since He is gone, the Girl must do his work, without pause.
For the chores he used to do, she could not have as much love
As he did, although some were pleasing. She adored building the daily fire.
But she could not do this until she had been out in the morning mist,
The day’s first chore: She led the sheep to the pasture, where they would pause,
And crunch the green grass of the fields. This was not exciting for the Girl.
She longed for the grandiose beauty of the fire room.
When it came time for this job she would take a lengthy pause.
Finally a chore she liked to do. The girl felt such love
For the flames – for their crackle and hiss. These sounds comforted the Girl.
Little beads of sweat would form on her skin, in a soft mist.
Somewhere else there was a place where used to be comfortable, another room.
It was the kitchen. In the kitchen, there was also a fire.
Searching her mind, the girl recalled working in that warm, busy room,
Where while stitching with Nan, she would often pause.
Staring absentmindedly out the window, she would daydream of love,
And other enchanting illusions. She would tell Them. He would smile at the Girl.
And Nan would listen attentively, but soon her hands would return to their pace of fire,
Spilling yards of fine fabric onto the floor in a rolling mist.
Nan had always cared a great deal for the Girl.
But now that He was gone, when the rain echoed from outside the empty room,
In whatever action Nan was doing, she would pause.
Returning from her chores the Girl would sit and rest in front of the warm fire,
And over Nan’s eyes would appear a fine mist,
And you could see her mind sliding into thoughts of Him, her lost love.
No emotion seemed strong enough to ignite a fire
That could melt the ice covering Nan’s heart - that cold mist.
The Girl wondered now if Nan had enough room
In her heart for her anymore. Years ago, Nan had taught her to love.
Yet it seemed as though in time there had come to Nan’s heart a pause,
And that she was no longer capable of loving the Girl.
The Girl considered this often as she rested by the fire and looked about the room.
After a time the she stood. She must outside to the mist. After only a quick pause,
she nodded a goodbye to Nan, with love, and back out went the Girl.
*A sestina consists of thirty-nine lines of any length divided into six six-line stanzas and a three line concluding stanza called an envoy. The six words at the ends of the first stanza’s lines are repeated at the ends of the lines in the other five six-line stanzas. These words must also appear in the final three lines, where they often resonate important themes. The sestina originated in the Middle Ages, but contemporary poets continue to find it a fascinating and challenging form.
