La Alpujarra 7-9

[poliphilo]

7.  FLAG

 

As lovely as an army with banners-

The women who are not here.

 

The heart lifts at the flap of a rag,

A something feminine, pinned to a line.

 

A block of sun. A block of shadow.

The block of sun in the shape of an adze.

 

Multiplied by walls and walls

The flap of a flag,

 

                             the tick, tick, tick

Of an old breech-loader

 

An oiled procedure:

Cartridge out. cartridge in.

 

Waiting for the tread of the soldiers

 

Out of the shadow into the sun,

Out of the shadow into the sun,

Out of the shadow into the sun...

 

8. BEADS

 

This is a way of finding the brain’s

capacity when the brain is gone

 

(Eaten by worms):

 

                             You fill the skull

With tiny glass beads then pour them out

Through a funnel into a measuring jug.

How the stream rustles.

How the stream shines.

 

9. ALHAMBRA

 

The dragons of Islamic art

Twist and coil like a map of the brain.

 

The human brain is built in layers

Around its basic reptile stem.

We’re dinosaurs that have been recycled.

 

Nothing is lost. All things return-

Not in the same configurations.

See. Among the immortal stars-

(It was the Pole Star, will be again)-

Alpha Draconis

Comments

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

these are all wonderful. I particularly liked "Fountain". Old ones again - or new?

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PUBLISH
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[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

These are old. Well, oldish....

I'm glad you like Fountain. It's one of my favourites.

[fickleasever.livejournal.com]

I like Alhambra, it's very accessible.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks