Surprise of a Sestina

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and
try to love the questions themselves."
- Rainer Maria Rilke

Do you ever have a moment, a surprise occurrence, that just sticks with you for days on end, and you can’t quite figure out why? This happened to me recently. I was supposed to pick up my granddaughter from her local playground, where she was with another babysitter. I was unfamiliar with this D.C. park and I had trouble finding her right away, which is always an unsettling feeling for a guardian. The city has great facilities, meaning that ‘a park’ can be quite large, encompassing several blocks. At this one, there’s a playground, a community center, a pool, basketball courts, and even a library. It turns out that they had gone into the library to use the bathroom, and that’s why I couldn’t find her right away. I ended up having an interaction with a stranger that continues to make me smile, it was so weird – and unexpectedly kind. 

I had journaled about the day, but not much more. I wondered why the day/the moment stuck with me – and I thought about that great Rilke quote (above) and figured I’d just discover the full meaning in time. 

Yesterday, on the Ethical ELA 5-day poetry Open Write, the challenge was to write a sestina… oh my, do you know the sestina form? I tried writing a few of these earlier this year, a personal challenge, in the midst of a 100-days of poetry commitment I was making. This poetry form is an intricate puzzle for me, one which I invariably fail. Six key words to end phrases and six stanzas jumbling the order of these end words? By the third or fourth stanza, I lose my thoughts, my way, my focus and just fizzle out. Oh my. 

Then it dawned on me – why not try to tell the story of the stranger through the sestina form? At least I wouldn’t “lose my way” – because there was a beginning, middle, and an end. This ended up being great fun for me, and I thought I’d share the sestina here. I still need lots of practice with this form, but I was excited to complete six stanzas for once. Also, I used the Rilke quote as the bedrock of my six key words – so, I knew where the poem would end!

One last thing – writing into this form led me to a deeper level of reflection. I am realizing that the day sticks with me because this man was not someone I would normally have met or spoken with or hung around; and yet…well, you’ll see… 

It makes me wonder what I miss in life on more ‘ordinary days.’ 

[Warning – I wonder if reading a sestina by a novice sestina writer is rather like listening to a young child practice their recorder? My apologies, in advance! Ha!]

My six words are

All
Patient
Heart
Unsolved
Questions
Love

Be patient toward all 


There at a city park I knew not at all,
and behind schedule to boot, I parked impatiently
and stepped out. He spun up, said HEY!, startling my heart;
where he came from, vexxed me, confused me, unsolved
Watcha doing? Who are you? His torrent of questions
began; I challenged myself to respond with love.

Yes, my personal goal, to show “the stranger” love
rather than lead with fear, try to be open to all;
but within myself, appeared a flood of questions -
how do I make time for this or offer patience?
finding my granddaughter is priority one and unsolved
only this will settle my heart

He said, The name’s Karim, this here’s my park, my heart
Chuck Brown played here, music I love
What brings you round? What can I help solve?
I know everything about this place, I know it all.
From his perspective, I was the one out of place; patiently,
gently, he was quizzing me, questioning

Ahead at the playscape, no children, a scared feeling and questions
My granddaughter’s supposed to be here, my sweetie, my heart.
I walked along briskly, trying to stay patient
He stays close on his bike and assures, We’ll find her, love;
It’s the safest neighborhood in D.C., safest of all.
Honestly, I was in two places at once, her location unsolved.

Where’s her sitter? Where are the playmates? Everything’s unsolved. 
I’m tagging along with a stranger, riddled with questions
If she’s not at the playground, where all
might she be?  Is this the day that breaks my heart?
He soothed, Down the hill, there’s a water park kids really love.
Don’t worry, I gotcha, keep the faith, be patient.

So we continued, he the calm doctor, me, worried patient
Happenstance odd couple with mission unsolved
Up, down, around, across the field, together, until I found my love
Why I trusted this guy, I suppose that’s a question
I tell you, it made sense at the time to open my heart
I smile now at his words, I’m my brother’s keeper, that’s all.

“Be patient toward all
that is unsolved in your heart
and try to love the questions
themselves.”
Rainer Maria Rilke