I guess it’s not much of a confession to say that I love art and the arts, right?  Have you ever looked at what it takes to create blown glass art?  Years ago, at an amusement park I know of and frequented often as a child, I would watch in wonder at the work done.

Blown Away
by Michael Romani

Sand, lime and soda into the furnace
Becomes the start of liquid glass finesse
Hollow pipes are blown by skilled makers
Who fashion vases, flowers and shakers

Funnels used to mold and shape
A myriad of beauty that we anticipate
Every second is important to master
Every misstep is but potential disaster

Punsies form hot glass into the glory holes
Where heated products become tomorrow's goal
Anneals then cool and prevent the cracking
The clock ticks and reveals what's lacking

To design and create artful presentations
With recognition of mastery as destination
All this to be completely blown away
A snapshot taken in inspiration serves the day

Each piece revealing the artist's voice
Each voice spoken taken as a matter of choice
All this holding who each these are
A kind of meditation blinking as newborn stars

Color bars of vivid blues and verdant greens
Tools to dress up each of the blowers' dreams
Each step of the process is a primal dance
Each sway in play is a matter of significance

Heat, cooling and the sheer pull of gravity
Works in combination with inspired creativity
Every millisecond requires fullest of attention
If the art is to become the intended rendition

Sculpting with all of the fragility of light
Things break if you don't quite get it right
A life's lesson in what to do next
Is that important bit of what makes and corrects

A moment of life happening by accident or plan
And we roll with this as best as our rolling can
All of this in a world fully set on and in fire
By the blower's heart full of fantastical desire

A shared breath of butterflies on splendid vase
Staring into the depths of eternity in its face
Each turned into it own bit of treasured intimacy
Whispers again of life's haunting simplicity

(c)  July 23, 2019  Michael Romani
All Rights Reserved