Arc Welding Concerto in E-Flat Major

The allegro of the welder's instrument,
the fussing of voltage in a fusion zone
(dark windows burst with lightning),
and, caesura, the lifting of the hood,
and, presto, down.

Allegretto, while he has the spot,
but adagio non troppo along the seam,
little waves of weld,
smoke dancing through strobelight: vivace!
His two becoming one: vivace!

Rondo: allegro assai...ah!
He's down to a nub of rod.
Look, the heavy glove, the c-clamps;
this is the art of creation.
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!


(Arkansas Magazine, Arkansas Democrat, November 10, 1985)