Stonework is published by Houghton College, a Christian liberal arts college located in New York’s rural Genesee Valley. Stonework seeks a diverse mix of mature and emerging voices in fellowship with the evangelical tradition. Published twice a year, the journal reflects the arts community at Houghton College where excellence in music, writing, and the visual arts has long been a distinctive.

Stonework Journal Home

Letters to the Editor

Stonework Staff

Submission Guidelines

Editorial Philosophy

Our Favorite Links

E-mail Stonework: StoneworkJournal@gmail.com

  • Issue 6
    Poetry by Paul Willis and Thom Satterlee. Fiction and interview with Lori Huth. Essay by James Wardwell, and student poets from Christian campuses.
  • Issue 5
    Poetry by Susanna Childress and Debra Rienstra. Fiction excerpt by Emilie Griffin. Art from Houghton's 2007 presidential inauguration and a forum on women writing.
  • Issue 4
    Matthew Roth--new poems. Diane Glancy--from One of Us and an interview. John Tatter-on gardens and poetry. The Landscapes of John Rhett. Stephen Woolsey--on the poetry of Jack Clemo. James Wardwell--on Herrick.
  • Issue 3
    Poetry by Julia Kasdorf, Robert Siegel and Sandra Duguid. Fiction by Tom Noyes. The portraits of Alieen Ortlip Shea. An anthology of Australian Poets
  • Issue 2
    Thom Satterlee - Poems from Burning Wycliff with an appreciation by David Perkins. Alison Gresik - new fiction and an interview. James Zoller - Poems from Living on the Floodplain.
  • Issue 1
    Luci Shaw — new poems with an appreciation by Eugene H. Peterson & Hugh Cook — new fiction and an interview

Thursday, December 08, 2005

The Sound of a Circle: Nepali Singing Bowl

By Luci Shaw

I balance it
on the hollow of my left palm
so that its base rests
on my hand’s bones.
Cool, flawless,
an unbroken circle,
the rim a ring of light—
brass-bright from
a polishing rag and only
a little rubbing.

Like a pen outlining
the shape of the world
I draw the wooden baton
around its perimeter
with my right hand,
moving it against the curved lip
slowly, smooth as a wing
in flight, so as not to start
a shiver against
the metal.

And again.
Five orbits of the little
hemisphere. Listen: At first,
a low drone, then higher,
a treble voice filling the hollow,
circling the room, fluid
as a bell of water. When
I lay the instrument back
on its shelf, the sound dies,
but not the music.

~Luci Shaw

~~~~~

Next: Light Gathering January