Falling into the Sea

Like a tear from the storm’s eye, a plane falling into the sea–
Veering through a vortex of rain, falling into the sea. 

The honeyed twilight dissolves, the glass horizon is shattered
By a storm of comets, crystal rain falling into the sea.

A spell of Agni, a dream of fire wherein you became
Ashes blown from volcanic terrain, falling into the sea.

O Seth, become whirlwinds rising to clouds as mountains collapse
On the quaking desert, a scorched plain falling into the sea.

Tell me, clairvoyant, are these visions that portend my demise–
A wind through whirling darkness, a train falling into the sea?

We watched biplanes diving from clouds the shade of black silk,
Through debris cast from a hurricane, falling into the sea.

Mazu transformed into a rainbow to console mariners, 
Entered clouds to become lucent rain falling into the sea.

Agni: A fire deity of Hinduism.
Mazu: An Asian sea goddess.
Seth: An Egyptian god of deserts, storms, and warfare.

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Steffen Horstmann
Picture Nick Victor

This poem  is an English ghazal from a new book that I am working on. The ghazal form originated in 7th century Arabia and over the past three decades has begun to be widely practiced in the United States. Agha Shahid Ali taught me how to write a ghazal while I was his student at the University of Arizona.

Steffen Horstmann’s poems and book reviews have appeared in publications throughout the world, including Baltimore Review, Free State Review, Istanbul Literary Review, Louisiana Literature, Oyez Review, San Antonio Review, Texas Poetry Journal, and Tiferet. He has published two books of English ghazals, Jalsaghar (2016) and Ujjain (2017).

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