When Florence Cassen Mayers writes a letter, she does so in sestina form. . .

Ed. note: We asked Florence Cassen Mayers to blog for us at a mutually convenient time. This is how she replied. We ran this and four other sestinas of hers in April 2014.

Dear David

How gracious you
are to ask me to write
five
blogs
about the sestinas
in Dan’s book

his incredible book,
you
know sestinas
are what I write.
I’ve never written a blog.
I’m filled with terror: five!

Will five
do justice to his book?
What can I say in a blog?
You
honor me, but I’d rather write
sestinas.

I’ve practiced sestinas
two score years and five.
I’d gladly  write
a book
for you,
but a blog?

Blogs
are not my thing. Sestinas
are. I could send you
five
from my unpublished book                  
or happily write

new ones, but must I write
a blog?
Dan’s book
celebrates the sestina.
Let’s give him a high five.
If it's OK with you

I’ll write five sestinas.                     
not five blogs
to praise his book. What say you?

-- Florence Cassen Mayers