Sea Salt: A Villanelle

by Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé

The script of two brothers and a bargain
The script of turkey ham or leg of lamb
The script of Hermes and another descent

The script of fables before winnowing
The script of the old man as clairvoyant
The script of ghouls at the threshold

The script of a hand mill made of maple
The script of buckwheat and oats and rye
The script of peas and nuts and millet

The script of grinding out happiness
The script of new lights and field corn
The script of the secret on a pint of ale

The script of Cain drowned in herring
The script of Constantinople in a fresco
The script of the world’s barter of souls

The script of grief like a redder sorghum
The script of us as anonymous skippers
The script of salt and a boat sinking
The script of the sea and its taste of tears

From: 
Scholars & Rogues




Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé's picture

ABOUT THE POET ~
Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé has edited more than ten books and co-produced three audio books. The titles span the genres of ethnography, journalism, creative nonfiction, and poetry, several edited pro bono for non-profit organizations including Sok Sabay Cambodia, Riding for the Disabled Association, and the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre. Previously an entertainment and lifestyle journalist, Desmond has traveled to Australia, France, Hong Kong and Spain for his stories, culminating in the authorship of the limited edition Top Ten TCS Stars for Caldecott Publishing. Trained in book publishing at Stanford University, with a theology masters (world religions) from Harvard University and fine arts masters (creative writing) from the University of Notre Dame, he is the recipient of the Hiew Siew Nam Academic Award, and Singapore Internationale Grant, with his poetry and fiction appearing in nine chapbooks, various anthologies, and over 140 literary journals. An interdisciplinary artist, Desmond also works in clay, his ceramic works housed in museums and private collections in India, the Netherlands, the UK and the US.


Last updated May 31, 2011