Litnet

for Don Maclennan

A stroke of fate
or grace:
paralysed by half,
and so the weaker side is left
to tend the tacit meaning, while
the right responds with balanced strength,
denotes and seals the intent
from without.

Both there before, both limp and stride,
but soft of purpose,
loose of camber.
Then Don mastered the iamb.
Then he died.