Smoothness Of The Stone Poem by gershon hepner

It’s not the smoothness of the stone
the sculptor hopes that you will feel,
but fire in its flesh and bone
concealed by smoothness like a peel.
Within the stone hearth glow hot embers
the sculptor fans into a flame
recalling what rough stone remembers,
the shape of love unburst by shame.

Anne-Sophie Mutter, interviewed by Charlie Rose, talked about the smoothness of a Rodin or Brancusi that hides the fire within. Earlier in the day, Linda and I were discussing cinders and the fire that they implied but failed to show.

4/14/98