ellisislandpoem.com

The stable text of Ellis Island is divided into 52 books each containing 12 sonnets of 14 lines each. This page presents a Random Sonnet based on that text. The numerals in the left column of this page indicate book, sonnet, and line numbers that identify the source of each line in the stable text.

 

219before she left for ellis america
4415i have chosen to marry he announces and would do it again
51116in choosing a style for an epic i had to deal with the question of opera
 
4547on the telephone she sings you a song about starting to cry at a traffic light
11412they follow paths in the sea no one can trace
451113but when people grew angry at me i didn't know what to do with it
 
37512mountains and oceans of arable symphonies play as you breakfast there
10212so i lie on the beach and wait for my mind to take shape again
2323i contrived to write my name all over the passing parade balloons
 
231213yes croons italy and i have brought you the revolutionary silk shirts as well
1189i climbed three steep corridors before i came out at last on deck
762i found myself was what i had to lose
 
43913a resonance of light from deep inside
37813second sunlight infused with delight creates magnetisms between you