Splicing a Line

by Richard Taylor

Pause a moment, the half thought twisting
like a rope lying limp across your hands.  Unravel the strands
a hand back from the end, backtwist

into the rope’s own turn a hand back more.
Go through with the fid, pry wide for the middle strand
to find a way back into the open rope.

Snug the center strand there, and an eye
begins to open with the fid again open the next arch
and pass the left strand through, then the right

on its own side.  Back twist, open again, thread under
and over the original twist, again and again
until the loose strands run out.

Trim the ends and roll the rough braid
beneath your foot, back and forth, until
the weave smooths, the spliced eye rounds.

Long enough at sea, now it’s a pen that pries against
the twist of thought, threads the strands across the turn of phrase
and opens an eye for what it is I am looking to say.