Cursive: A Pantoum

Cursive: A Pantoum

Betsy K. Brown

In the beginning was one word,
A word continuous and full,
A single thread of ink, I’ve heard,
Who speaks in darkness, makes us whole.

A word continuous and ful-
Ly good, unlike our fractured lines,
Will speak in darkness, make us whole,
Piecemeal to peace, an act divine-

Ly good, unlike our fractured lines,
Which pop staccato with our fears.
Piecemeal to peace! An act divine
Will someday reconnect our years

Which pop staccato with our fears.
O longest line the light once drew,
Will someday you connect our years?
Will all that’s broken be made new?

The longest line the light once drew
Will in the end still be one word,
And all that’s broken may be new,
A single thread of ink, I’ve heard.

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Betsy K. Brown
Poet & Essayist

Betsy is a poet, essayist, critic, and curricular writer. Her work has appeared in many journals, including First Things, The Classical Outlook, and AWP's The Writer's Notebook. You can read more of her work at betsykbrown.com.

Photography by Blind Man Photography