Sestina for Fishers of Men

The village watched as Jonathan Siler            

cared for his mother, nursed her day and night.         

They saw him drop out of school, stop seeing         

May Johnson, the girl of his teenage dreams.            

While the village loved Mamie Siler, they                 

began to wish that Jonathan be freed                         

from responsibility, a fish freed

from the hook in its tender mouth. Siler

neither knew nor cared what others thought, they

were as remote from him as the stars at night.

For the first time, he could see his dreams

fleshed out in meaningful tasks, he could see

what others couldn’t, and in truth he saw

a life of ministry where he was freed

to give of himself.  Meanwhile, the town dreamed

of other goals for their young man Siler.

They looked for the stars and saw a dark night

when the fish wouldn’t bite the bated hooks they

dangled.  He couldn’t avoid his fate, they

reasoned, and there was no way he could see

what they could see.  They determined that night

that they would take matters in their hands, free

him from the curse of the only Siler

child.  They thought and thought and finally dreamed

up a scheme.  While the stars blinked, the fish dreamt

of bigger seas, Oprah was contacted. They

convinced her of the sacrifice Siler

was making, and she immediately saw

ratings rise as she provided relief, freed

this young man giving him several nights

to see Chicago, be on her show. Night

fell over this city but starlit dreams

masked the truth.  Well-meaning villagers freed

him from responsibility, but they

couldn’t prevent his mother’s death or see

what effect that death would have on Siler.

The stars in the night watched the fish as they

swam in and out his tortured dreams.  They saw 

that freedom for Siler would never be.