It's in the kernels. Scrape the corn-body, the jewels fall. The kernels can be eaten raw or lightly, tenderly cooked. Corn on its cob is yummy roasted. Or grilled. The same is true of letters; eaten so many ways. As many as a poem makes use of word-kernels.
One difference. One caution. Corn-silk is to avoided. Word-slk, not.
He stopped to ponder these patterns,
ReplyDeletenew waves of feeling scattered in the sunlight,
mud on the boots of the walkers, beached
and looking for food, and the postmark on the envelope.
By and by the rain would be arriving,
he would step on the platform and be borne away,
all of the atmosphere of the small town would evaporate,
and he would have only the memory of his melon, ripe and sweet.