Bells

[SKDink55]

This part of Hamburg looks and feels Siberian
retracing chubby childish fingers
along the footnote creased in exile.
Its air has intake and a bit of spring
that sends the leafy shadows quivering
against the patchy asphalt.
Its scent of apple trees in bloom
is hanging like a green halo and caught
between my highs-strung ankles –
For I am overturned this spring,
watching the dusk descend
down my hair – its very ends
I tied to ancient bells in bronze,
announcing summer’s
coming.

The strongest part of this poem is the first line. It is always jarring, in poetry, to be brought into the present day, rather than a reflection on the past. However, by linking the present (Hamburg) with another place (Siberia), there is a really delicate time-space dance that I really enjoyed.

What you've done well here, too, is double-take word pairings and phrases. On its face, this poem seems a breezy task, but re-reads only make it more incomprehensible. Which I actually prefer. But phrases like "its air has intake" and "the footnote" give you a sense of something, but of what? Notes like that always make me think of Ginsberg's "hydrogen jukebox," which is always a delight.

I'm having a hard time coming up with suggestions for improvement, beyond the spelling error of highs-strung that everyone has already suggested. I do find the word "very" to be superfluous here.

Thank you for sharing!!