A sonnet is to salvation
as Milton, to squid, confess,
bind, climbing a steep ridge.
Sestina, to redemption
as Keats, to grieve, resign,
whale, falling off cliffs.
Villanelle, to remembrance
as Bishop, to church, prayer,
veil, gutting fresh fish. Canto,
to hatred as Rich, to loss,
failure, God, filleting black cod.
Epitaph, to hope as Alexie,
to smudge, forgiveness, sole,
burning a white cross.
Copyright 2016, Timothy Pilgrim
Timothy Pilgrim is a Pacific Northwest poet with over 300 published poems.