© 1992 Lynne Kulieke
Going into the hunt
the bells clang harshly,
eluding melody.
Going into the hunt,
again and again each fails his complement,
mocking harmony.
Too close — naught but a deafening noise —
too far — naught but a dubious reverberation
in the air.
And the melody — as yet unsung —
haunts the longing heart.
The harmony — still unpealed —
sears the soul with yearning.
Going into the hunt.
Primitive cacophony reigns uproarious,
as the bells swing into the hunt.
Order without meaning,
pattern without value —
for this time-space moment.
Hope hangs suspended in the infinitesimal
silences.
And then… above the countless rounds — an overtone of promise —
The universal composition of truth and beauty and goodness
the bells will never tell
without going into the hunt.
—Lynne B. Kulieke
Note: In church bell change ringing, the purpose is to play different combinations and permutations of a set of bells, not to play a melody. “Going into the hunt” signifies the movement of an individual bell in the sequence.