P h o t o grap h by B ra n d

LA W R E N C E D U R R E L L
Lawre nc e D urre ll
j U S TI N E
B AL T HA&AR
M O U NTO L I VE
C L EA
TH E B LAC K B OOK
B I TT ER L EM O N S

E S P R I T DE COR P S
S T I F F U P P ER LIP
S AP P H O
CO LL ECT ED P O EM S
P RO S P E RO S C E LL and R E F L EC T I O N S
’

O N A M A R I N E VE N U S
P OPE j o A N
TH E DARK LA B YR I NT H

Th is p ap er b ack ed it io n o f
TH E POETRY O F LAWR ENC E D UR R EL L
&

P ub lis h ed P D utt o n (9 Co I nc
1 9 62 , b y E . . .
, .

All rig h ts res erv ed P rint ed in t he U S A

. . . .

Copy rig h t 1 9 5 6 1 9 6 0 b y Lawrence D a rrell

, ,

No part o f t h is b o o k may b e prod uced in any form

re

w h ats o ever wit h o ut p erm issio n in wr it ing fr o m t he

p ub lis h ers, ex cep t b y a rev iewer who wis h es t o quo te
b rief p assag es in co nnectio n wit h a rev iew writt en
fo r inclusio n in a m agaz ine or newspap er or b r o ad casts .

P h o t o grap h o f Lawrence D urr ell

b y B rassa i fro m Rap h a Guillum ett e
 P R E FA C E

I HAVE arran ged these p oems no t according to c hro nol o gy but

,

in what I ho pe is th e mo s t easily read ab le form Nothing has b e en

.

inc lud e d from the two earlie st p amphlets I date my p oetic

.

a ppearance from the pu b lication o f A P riva te Country in 1 94 3 .

Poems from the following volume s have been included &P roems
e dited by O swell Blakes to n (Fortune Pre ss ,
A P riva t e
Co untry (Fa be r and Fab e r ,
Cit ies P la ins a nd P eop le
,

( Fab e r and Fab e

,
r O n S eem in
g t o P res um e
( Fa b er and
Fab e r I 94 8) ; S app ho & a play in ve rs e (Fabe r and Fabe r
, ,

Tb e Tree ofI a lenes s (Fab e r and Fab e r 1 9 5s) ; and P riva te D rafts
’
,

(privat e ly pri nted in N ic osia ,

Cyp rus
,

LD
. .
L A W RE NC E D UR RE L L British c i tiz en o f I rish p a rent a g e
, a ,

w a s bo rn in th e Himalaya r e g i o n o f I n d i a His fir s t ten .

yea r s w ere sp en t in I n d ia After s c h oo l ing in England he

.
,

d e c id ed to b e c o m e a w riter Thr o u gh o u t the l 9 3 0 s M r

’

. .

Durr e ll d ev o ted m o st o f his tal en ts to his p o e try w h ic h

h as w o n m uc h a c c lai m His fi r s t n ovel The B la c k B oo k
.
, ,

w as p u b l is h e d in Paris in 1 9 3 8 and w as c i ted b y T S

,
. .

E l io t as b e ing o ne o f the gr e a t h op es fo r m o d ern E ngl is h

fi ctio n The B lac k B o o k w a s p u b l ish e d in the U ni t e d
.

S tates fo r the fi r st t im e in 1 960 .

Wo rl d War II te m p o ra rily in terrup te d M r Du rre l l s lit

’

e rary c a re e r .D ur ing the w ar y e ars a nd fo r s om e tim e

th e r e a fte r b e se rve d Gr e a t Br it a in in v ar io u s Offi c ial and
,

d ip l om a tic c ap a c i ties in Athe ns Ca ir o Rh o des and B e ]

, ,

gra d e .

The p u b l ic ati o n o f &us tine in 1 957 , and th e sub seq uen t

ap p e ara nc e o f B a lthaz a r M ount o liv e and

C lea ( 19 60 ) as p art s o f th e
sam e m agn ifi c en t s e ries c alle d
The Alexa nd ria &ua rtet d ev ote d to an exa m inati o n o f
the var io u s as p e c ts o f l ove im me d iat e l y c ause d M r Dur
,
.

r e ll to b e re c o gn iz e d a s o ne o f the gr e ate s t and m o st im

p o r t an t w r ite r s o f m o d e rn ti me s .
 C ONT ENTS
M NE IAE
OR P H E U S
S TY L E
T H E DY I NG FA LL
PAT M O S
GREE N M A N
POE M
LI N E S TO M U S I C
T H E P I L OT
LO GO S
T H E C OTTA G ER
TH E PO E T
B ERE R E G I S
P E A R LS
FOR A NU R S ERY M I RR O R
CR AD L E S O NG
S O NG
T H E OCTA GO N R OO M
NI GH T EX P RE SS
SW A N S
’

AT S T R AT I S
ED U CAT I O N O F A C L O U D
T H E T REE O F ID L E N E SS
T H E S I RE N S
ON M I RR OR S
A BO W L O F R O S E S
B I TT ER L E M O N S
C L O U D S O F G L O RY
NOTE B OO K
M A R E OT I S
PH IL E R E M O
E GY P T I A N POE M
A S M A LL S C R I P T U RE
E X I L E I N AT H E N S
AT E P I D A U R U S
G REE K CHU RC H & A L E X A ND R I A
TO A R GO S
FAT H ER NI C H O L A S HI S D E AT H & C O R FU
TH A S OS
A S P H OD E LS & CH A L C I D I C E
I N T H E G A RD E N & VI LL A CL E OB OL U S
fr o m E T ER N A L C O N T E M P O R A R I E S & S I X
P O RT R A I T S
11M ark ofPatm os
.

III B asil the Herm it

.

IV D m itri ofCarpathos
.

V Panagiotis ofLind os
.

PE N E LOP E
M ATA P A N
TH E A N E C D OT E S
I In Cairo
.

II In Cairo
.

III At Rhod es
.

IV At R hod es
.

V I n At hens
.

VI At Al ex and ria
.

VI I At Al ex a nd ria
.

VII I I n P at m o s
.
 X . I n B rit ain
XI . I n B ritain
X II . I n Rhod es
X II I . I n Paris
XIV . I n B eirut
XV . I n R hod es
XVI . I n Rio
CO N O N IN EX I L E
B Y TH E LA K E
TH E AD E P T S
TH E E N CO UN T ER
P E TR O N T H E D E S ERT FAT H ER
,

VI S I TAT I O N S
FUN C H A L
A W AT ER CO L O U R O F VE N I C E
-

CON O N I N A L E X A N D R I A
HI GH S I ERR A
‘
FR O M S A P P H O A PL AY
’

The Hiv e o f I nno cenc e

M id night D ial ogue

Et hiopia

&
O HN D O NN E
CAVA FY
LA R OC H E F O U CA U L D
FA B RE
P OGG I O
CO N O N T H E C RI T I C O N TH E SIX LA N D
S CA P E P A I N T ER S O F G REE C E
TW O P O E M S I N B A S I C E NGL I S H
I S hips Island s Trees
. . .

II Near El Ala m ein

.

ix
IN E U R O P E
L E TTER TO S E F ER I S T H E G REE K
D A P HN I S A N D CH L O E
T H E HA NG E D M A N
S U MM ER
I N C RI S I S
A NOCT U A RY I N AT H E N S
AD A M
S E L F TO NOT S E L F
-

C I T I E S PL A I N S A N D P E O P L E
,

A S O L I L O &UY O F HA M L E T
‘ ’

T H E D E AT H O F G E N ER A L UNC EB U N KE
Fo urt een Carols
Five S ol il o quies upo n t he To m b f
o

Unceb unke
L E TT ER S I N D A R K N E SS
TH E P RAY ER W H EE L
-

P A RI S & O U RNAL
CO P TI C POE M
M YT H O L OGY
PO L I T I C S
T H E D A I L Y M I RR O R
PR E SS M A R KE D UR G E N T
E L E GY O N T H E C L O S I NG O F T H E
FRE N C H B R OT H E LS
T H E C RI T I C S
M YT H O L OG Y
S O NG F O R &A R AT HU S T R A
B A LL A D O F K R E T S C H M E R S TY P E S
’

B A LL A D O F T H E O E D I P U S CO M P L E X

I N D E X O F FI R S T LI N E S
 MNB I A B

Soft as pu ffs of smoke combining ,

—
Mneiae re memb rance Of past live s

The shallow p igm entati o n o f ete rnity

Upon th e pouch Of time and p lace e xisting .

1,
th e watcher smokin g at a tab le
, ,

And I my s e lves Observed by human choice

, , ,

Adisinherite d portion o f the wh o l e

With you the S iblin g of my self desire
-
,

The carnal and the temp oral voice ,

The singing bird upon th e s p ire &

And love th e grammar o f that war

,

Which time s the only Ointment for

’

Which time s the o nly Ointment for

’
.
 O R PH E US

O rp heus beloved famulus

, ,

Kn o w to us in a dark c o ngeries
O f intimati o ns fro m the dead &
E ncam p in g am o n g o ur verses
Harp beats Of a sea b ird s wing s
- -
’

DO y o u contend in us th o u g h now ,

A me m o ry o nly the smash e d lyre

,

Washed u p entangled in y o ur hair ,

B ut s o undin g still as here ,

0 m o narch o f al l initiates and

The dancer s only p erfect peer
’
&

In the fecund si l ences Of the

Pa inter o r the po et s wrestlin g
,
’

With ch o ice y o u steer like

A great al b atr o ss spread white
,

O n the earth margins the sailin g

-

Sn ow win g s in th e world s afterlight

-
’

Mento r Of all these p a per S hi p s

C o ckled fr o m fancy o n a tide
Made navi gabl e only by yo ur S kill
Which in s ome few a pp r oves
A p a per recreati on Of l o st lo ves .
 S T YL E

Some thing like th e sea ,

Unlab o ure d momentum of water

But goin g somewhere ,

Building and subsidin g ,

The busy o ne the l o veless

,
.

O r the wind that s l its

F o re sts from end t o e nd ,

Ins p iriting vast audiences ,

O vations Of leafy hands

Acce p ting accep tin g
,
.

But neither is ye t
Fine en o ugh for the line I hunt .

The dry bony blade of the

Swo rd grass might suit me
-

B etter&an assassin O f po lish .

Such a b ite Of p erfect temp er

As unwary fin gers p ro v o ke ,

Not t o b e felt ti l l later ,

Turning away t o notice the thread

,

O f bl o o d fro m its un fe l t str o ke .

 TH E D YIN G FA L L

The islands re bu ffed by water .

E stuaries Of put ty and g o l d .

A sm o keless arc o f Latin S ky .

O ne star less than a week Old

,
.

Mem o ry n o w I lead her haltered

,
.

Stab o f the Opiate in the arm

Wh en the sea we ars b ronze scal e s and
Hushes in the amb ush o f a calm .

The Old dialogu e always rebegins

B etween us & but n o w the s p rin g
Ri p ens neither will be attendin g
, ,

F o r r o sy as feet o f p i ge ons p ressed

In clay th e kisses we p o ssess e d

, ,

O r th o ught we did & S O b o rr o win g lendin g , ,

Stacked fortunes in our lo ve s society

’

Each in the perfect circle of a S igh was endin g .

 GRE E N M AN

Four small n o uns I p ut to pas ture ,

Lamb s Of cl o ud o n a green p aper .

M y l o ve leans like a beadle at her boo k ,

Her smi l e washes the seve n cities .

I am the s p rin g s greenest p ub licity

’

And my po em is all wrist and e l bo w .

O I am n o t daeda l and need win gs ,

My o racl e kisses a black wand .

One g reat verb I di p in ink

For the to rto ise wh o carries the earth
A grammar o f fate l ike th e ma p Of C hina ,

O r as wrink les S it in the pa l m o f a girl .

I enter my po em l i ke a s o n s h o use
’
.

The ancient th o u ght is & n o thin g wi l l chan ge .

B ut the n o uns are b ack in the b o tt l e ,

I ache and she is warm was warm is warm

, ,
.
 POEM

Find time han gin g cut it d o wn

,

All the universe yo u o wn .

Masterless and S ti ll untamed

P o et lead the race yo u ve shamed
,
’
.

Lo ver cut the rati o nal kn o t

,

That made yo ur thinking ru l e f thum b

-O -

Andbarefo o t o n th e pl um dark hi ll s
-

GO Wander in E lysiu m .
 L I NE S T O M US I C

Ri d e o ut at midni ght ,

Y o u wi l l meet y o ur sun .

Int o what arsena l n o w seem fallen

The germs o f the p lum and the pe pp erc o rn &
The born and the un bo rn wil l re po rt
What po is o n licks the wheat ,

O r in the mel o n s gol d ret o rt

’

Re peat what me l ody fattens the l e op ard

Fr o m his m o ther s dusky teat
’
.

Ride o ut at midni ght

And numb er the s p arr o ws .

Wh o p ut great win g s to the Ark &

Wh o gave the unicorn s p urs &

O n l y the wo men with thi ghs l ike mackerel ,

No urish the germ o f the man of s o rrows ,

Are true t o their m o nste rs .

B e yo u to yo urs
.
 TH E P IL O T

To Dud ley Hono r

Sure a l o vely day and all weather

Leadin g wes tward to I reland and our chi l dh oo d .

O n the quarters Of heaven held b y stars

, ,

The Hunter and Arc t urus gettin g ready

The e l ect o f heaven al l b urnin g on the wheel .

This lo ve l y m o rnin g must the pil o t l eanin g

In the eye Of heaven fee l the island
Turnin g beneath him burnin g s o ft and blue
,

And all this m o rtal gl obe like a g reat l am p

With s p ines o f rivers families o f cities
,

Seemin g to the s o litary bo y S O

Lo ca l and queer yet s o much p art Of him .

The enemies Of si l ence have c o me nearer .

Turn turn to the m o rnin g o n wild elbows

,

Loo k d own thro u g h the five senses like S tars

To where o ur lives lie small and equal like t wo grains
f —
B e o re C hance the hawk s eye o r the p i lo t s
’ ’

R o und and shinin g o n the o pen sky ,

Reflectin g b ack the i nn o cent w o rld in it.

 L O GO S

Thy kin g d o m c o me They say the p rop het

.

In p rivate h o use lies with his myth

Sees stran ge p articu l arities in flesh
That po is o n his b eatitud e .

Onlie b egetter shinin g o ne

,

We trave l a same rare latitud e

To frin ge the Arctic Circle Of the Wo rd
C arry n o c o mp ass fla g t o pl ant b ut bo ne
, ,
.

The a geless hum o ur o f the skeleto n .

His myth is grace & n o l ess o ur a b s ol ute ,

Lo cust and h o ne y scri p and wa ll et Wo man

,
.

C an b e a wi l derness en o u g h fo r bo dy
TO wander in & is a true human
Genesis and ex o dus A seri o us fate
. .

She the l ast crucifix i o n o n the Wo rd .

We p ress o n her as R o man o n his s wo rd .

IO
 TH E C O TT A G E R

Here is a man who says & Le t there b e li ght .

Let wh o is dressed in hair wa l k u p right ,

The h o use g ive black sm o ke the chi l dren

,

B e si l enced by fire and a pples Let

.

A sedative evenin g b rin g S teamin g cattl e

The domestic kettle c o nta gi o n o f slee p
, ,

D ee per p urer surer even than E den .

Twin tides speak mak in g o f t wo three

B y fissi o n b y fusi o n a logarithmic sea
,
.

What was b itter in the a ppl e is eaten dee p ,

Rust slee p s in the st eel can ker wil l kee p

, .

Let o ne pl us o ne quicken and b e two ,

Kee p si l ence that s ilence kee p yo u

.

II
 TH E P O E T

Time marched a gainst my e gg ,

B ut Satu rn hatched it&

Furnished two rusty claws ,

The antel op e s log ic&

’

While b y the turtle s c o ma in summer

’

The new m o on watched it .

Four seas o ns c o ns p ired

To po is o n my water & with sciss o rs
A late s p rin g l anced the b ud ,

Ti ghtened the cau l o n my S kull ,

Lu l led me in dra go n s b lo o d
’
.

Sun withered this cruci bl e head ,

Wo ve me b y a tra g ical l oo m .

Nine mo o ns heard Of my comin g ,

The drummin g Of mythica l h o rses

O n the wal l s Of the w o mb .

Winter buried the eyes l ike talents .

Tightened the tem p le s bo ny ring

’

And now the pic is opened ,

Feathered the head o f the o wl et

What shal l the m o nster sin g &

1 2
 P E A R LS

N ow mark the Lady one fine day

,

To refresh her p ear l s she c o mes

And b uries them in the sand here ,

Lettin g the sea feed o n them ,

TO l ick b ack b y sa l t
The lustre Of them and the p ri ze .

Ten summers lazy as fishes fol l ow

,
.

Ten winters nude as thimbles

,

B ear o n their gradua l curves

The d rinkers o f the darkness .

The pearls drink and rec over

But their l o ve l y Neck
B ec o mes o ne day the targ et fo r an Axe,
Bows swan like d o wn
-

Its unre penting l ovely s tum p .

S o mething is inc o m p lete here ,

S o methin g in the sto ry is unfi nished ,

A ta l e with n o b e g innin g ,

The fra gment Of a v o ice that interru p ts ,

Like this un b r oken c o ast ,

Like this ha l f drawn l andscape

-
,

Like this b ro ken to rs o o f a po em .

I 4
 F O R A N U R S E R Y MI R R O R

Imag e Image Image answe r

, ,

Wh e th e r so n or wh e th e r daughter ,

Th e persuad e r o r the dance r&

A bird s beak poking o ut Of the fl e sh
’

A bird s b e ak singing b e tween th e eyes

’
.

‘
The earth is a loaf ,

Image Image Image

, , ,

Th e wet p ar t is j oine d to the dry ,

Like th e j oints Of Adam .

’

It is dark now Ris e

. .

Betw een the Nons e lf and the Self

Cove r the little wo und
With soft red clay ,

From the hit Of the wind Of D eath ,

Fr o m the Chink Of th e pin Of Day .

The heart s cold S inging part

’

I mage o f the D ancer in wate r ,

Clos e u p wi th the soft re d clay

The wo und in the mystical b ud
For the dance rs walking in th e water
This is the body this th e bl oo d
,
.

1
5
 C RAD LE S O NG

E ree

curl e d like a hoop in sl ee p

unearthly of manufa c ture ,

tissue o f blossom and c lay

b o n e th e extra c t O f air
foun tain Of na ture .

softly knitted by kiss e s ,

add e d to S titch b y S ti tc h ,

by sl ee p o f th e dying heart ,

by wate r and wool and air ,

gather a fabri c ri c h .

earth c ontracte d to e arth

in ten to e s & th e c ardi nals .

in ten fing e rs & t he bishops .

e ars by tw o eyes by two

, ,

watch the mirro r watchin g y o u,

and now hush

th e nightwalke rs bringin g peace ,

s e ve n th e badg e s Of grace
five th e straw c aps o f tal e nt ,

on e th e scarf Of d e sire go ,

mimic your mother s l o vely face ’

.

1 6
 S O NG

Fro fi er th e loave s of pa in
Forward and ba ck again ,

By tim e s infl e xibl e quantum

’

Th e y S hall not mee t this autumn .

St o n e isl e ts S tars in S tations

, ,

Crab up th e ir fals e e quations ,

Wh e th e r th e y run Or saunte r
They shall not mee t this winte r .

Bore d o m Of bre a thl e ss swan

White n e ss th e y gaze d upon ,

At S kyligh t a roam e r .

They S hall no t m ee t in summe r .

Fast on th e s e c ap e s Of gree n
Sil en c e falls in b e tween
Finge r and we dding ri ng
-
.

Th e y S hall not me e t in sp ri ng .
 TH E O C TA G O N R O O M

Ve rone s e grey &H e re in the O cta gon R oom

Our ligh t ruffl e s and d e c od e s
Gre ys of c igar as h o r river clay
-

Into th e te xtual pl umag e of a mind

Paulo all his Mus e s h e ld
,

Quie t ly in emuls ion up agains t

A pan e of co ckn e y S ky .

I t is not o nly the auth o ri ty

O f godly sensual forms which p ity
—
And overwh el m us this grey C opi e d
From e ye s I no more see ,

Re c ording eve ry S had e Of pain y es , ,

All it takes t o give smiles

Th e deathly cando ur O f a dying art ,

O r wo rth to words e xc hanged in darkn e ss&

IS it o nly th e d e ad who hav e such eyes &

N0 really
, ,

I think it is th e feudal c alm

O f sens uality enj oye d witho ut ave rsion
O r re gre t (incide nt O f the ri ng
Lost in the grass &her laughter) .

I S h o uld have been ha pp y

In these rainy stre ets a ca p tive still
,

Like all these glittering hostages

We carri e d o ut o f Italy canvases
,

R idi ng th e cracking winds in gre at London

Parks & happy or unhappy who c an t e ll y o u &
,

1 8
O nly Vero nese gre y walks backwards
In the past across my mind
To where tugs still howl and mumb le
O n the fa t h e r rive r
,

And th e grey fe et passin g quive r

,

O n pavements greyer than his greys

Less woundin g perha ps becaus e the b e lon gers

Loved here died here and t oo k their art
, ,

Like love with a p inch Of salt ye s

, ,

Their pain clutched in the Spee c hless

D eathless calm Of Me th o d Gods &
.
 NI GH T E XP R E S S

Night falls The dark e xpress e s

.

R oll ba c k their iron scissors to c o mmence

Prec ision Of the wh ee ls e lision
’

From whos e dark s e rial jabb e r Sp arks

Swing swaying thro ugh th e mournful cap itals

And in these ligh ted cages sl eep

With Open e ye s th e pass e nge rs
Each c o mmitte d t o his p rivate folly ,

O n hinge s o f wanhope the long

Sl ee pi ng shelves of m en and women ,

A library Of maggots dre aming rolls ,

.

Some retiring to their slee p ing pas t ,

O n c licki ng pill ows feel th e fli c ke ring peep

O f ligh te d me mori e s ke ys S lipped in grove s
,

Parted like lips rece iving or resisting kisses .

Pillars o f smoke expend futuri ty .

This is how it is for me fo r you

,

It must b e di ffere nt lyi ng awake to hear

At a gard e n s end the t erribl e c l ub foot
’
-

Crashi ng am ong ir o n spars the female s h rieks

, ,

L o ve song Of ste e l and th e c ons e nting night

- .

TO fee l the m o cking jani tor S lee p

, ,

Shake no w and wake to lean th e re

O n a soft elbow seeing wh e re we race
A whiplash c urving o utwards to th e stars ,

A glowing c oal to ligh t the lamps Of S pac e .

20
 ’
AT S T R AT I S

Remember p lease time has n o j o ints

, ,

P o urs o ver the great si ll s Of th ought ,

N o t cl oggin g n o r resisti ng b ut
Yawning t o inherit the year s quarters; ’

Weavin g yo u u p the un b ro ken series

O f corn amm o nites and men
,

In a S in gle unla bo ured c o ntinuum ,

And not in s l ices cal led by day and night ,

And n o t in Objects called b y p lace and thin g .

Yo u say I d o n o t write b ut the taverns

,

Have n o clocks and I c onscri p ted

,

B y lon e liness Observe h o w o th e r drinkers

Sit at Strati s emb almed in reverie &
’

Fo rms raise green c ones Of wine ,

And loaded heads recline o n l o aded arms ,

Under a S ky p ro n o unce d b y cypresses ,

Packed up all of us like l o aves

, ,

Human and p lant mem o ry and wish

,
.

The very ca l endar p r ops an emp ty inkwe ll .

22
 E D U C A TI O N O F A CL O U D

You saw them Sabina Did yo u see them& &

,

Yet the education Of this little cloud

Full o f neglect allowed re missly S O to lie
,

Unbrushed in some forgotte n corner

O f a M onday aftern o on in Ap ril S ky
- - -

The re st abandoned it in passing by ,

The swollen re d eye d country mourne rs

- -
,

Unbarbered marchin g o n some Friday th e thirteenth

,
- -
.

They knew it was not Of the savage

Winter c o mp any this mfi et fo r a tired ch e ru b
, ,

B ut a dear b elonging o f the vernal age ,

Say s p rin g p rovinces Of th e nightin gale

, ,

Say l o ve the ministry Of all distresses

, ,

Say yo uth Sabina let us call it youth

, ,

All the white cap es o f fancy se e n afar &

2
3
 TH E TREE O F I D LENE S S

I sha l l die o ne day I su ppo se

In this o ld Turkish house I inhabi t
A ra gge d b anana leaf outside and here
-

O n th e sill in a jam jar a rock ros e

- -
.

Perhaps a S ingl e p inin g mandolin

Thro b s wh e re cicadas have quarried
To th e he art o f all mis givin g and ther e
Scratches o n sil e nce like a p et lo cked I n .

Will I be more o r l ess dead

Than the villa ge in memory s dispersing ’

S p rin gs o r in some clo ud Of witness see

, ,

Lookin g back th e s e l fsame ro ad ah e ad &

,

B y the m o ist clay Of a woman s wanting ’

After the heart has sto pp ed its fearful

Gnawin g will I descry between
,

This life and that another sort o f haunti ng &

N O & the card p layers in tabs o f S had e

-

Will pl ay o n& the aeria l s p ri ng s

Hiss &in bed lyin g quiet under kisses
Without signature with all my d e bts un paid
,

I shall recall nights Of squintin g rain ,

Like p i g iro n o n th e hills & bruised

-

Landscapes Of drummin g cl o ud and everywhere

The lack o f s o me o ne s p readin g l ike a S tain .

24
O r where b r own fin gers in the darkness m o ve ,

Before the ear ly sh ep herds have aw o ken

,

Of l i p s and

2 5
 T H E S I REN S

Trem b lin g they appear the Siren isles

, ,

B equeathin g lavender and m o lten ro se ,

Reflectin g in the white caves o f o ur sails

Mel o di ous ca pe s o f fancy and o f terr o r ,

Where n ow the S ingers surface at the p ro w ,

B e gin the fam o us p itiless w o unded sin ging

, ,

Ulysses watching like many a her o since

, ,
‘
Thinks & Vo ya ges and p rivati ons &

The l o utish sea which swa l l ows u p o ur lo ves ,

Lyin g windless under a sky Of li l ac ,

Far fr o m o ur h o me the lon ged fo r l andfal l

,
-

B y G o d &They ch oo se their time the Sirens

,
.
’

E very p o et and her o has t o face t hem ,

The glitterin g tem p tresses o f his distracti o n ,

The pena l ties which seek him fo r a h o sta ge .

H o mer and M i l to n & bo th were p unished in their

26
 O N M I RR O R S

Yo u gon e th e mirrors all reverted

, ,

Lay hanging in the em p ty h ouse ,

Re doubled their e fforts to im pede

Waterlo gged images o f faces p leadin g .

SO Fo rtunatus had a mirr o r which

Imperille d his reas o n when it br o ke;
The slee pers in their d o rmitory Of g lass
Stirred once and sigh e d but never wo ke .

Tim e amputated S O will b leed n o m o re

B ut flo w like refuse no w in c l o cks
O n clinic wal l s in libraries and barracks
, ,

Not made to s p end but kill and nothin g more .

Yet mirr ors abandoned drink like ponds

(O nce the y resumed the childh oo d o f l ove )
And overfl owin g s p readin g s wallo win g
, ,

Like water li g ht S how o ne averted face

, ,

As in the ca psule Of the human e ye

Seen at infini ty the o u ter end of time
, ,

A man and w o man lyin g sun bemused -

In a blue vineyard b y the Latin sea ,

Steeped in each other s minds and breathin g there

’

Like wicks inhalin g dee p in go lden Oil .

27
 A B O WL OF ROSES

‘
S p ring says your Alexandrian po et
’

‘
Means time o f the remissi o n Of the ro se ’

N ow here at this tattered Old caf& ,

B y the s ea wall where S O many like us

-
,

Have felt the reven geful po we r o f l i fe ,

Are ro ses tra pped in b lue tin bowls .

I think o f y o u s o mewhere amon g them

—
Other r o ses o utw o rn b y o ur litera t ure ,

Made tenants Of ca l f love o r else

-

The poe t s po rti o n a bl ack blac k r o se

’

C o u ghed int o the hel p less la p Of l o ve ,

—
O r fa ll en fr o m a l ape l a ni g ht clu b ro se
- .

It w o uld take m o re than this lo v mg I mag inati o n

To c l aim them fo r y o u out o f time ,

To mak e th e m dense and fe cund s o that

Sn ow w o uld never po ck et them n o r wo u l d
,

They trav el und er glass t o g reat sanato ria

And l i ke a si b lin g Of the sic kness thrust
Flushed faces u p b eside a dead man s pl ate ’
.

No yo u sh o u l d have p icke d o ne fr o m a po em
,

B ein g written s o ftl y with a b rush

The death l ess ide ogram fo r l o ve we writers hunt .

No w alas the writin g and the ro ses Me lissa , ,

Are nearl y over& wh o wil l nex t rememb er

Their s p rin g remissi o n in ke p t pr o mises ,

O r even the true gro und o f their invention

In s o me dry heart o r earthen inkwe ll &

28
 CL O U D S O F G L O R Y

Th e baby e m pe ror ,

re igning o n tuffe t throne o r p o t

,

in his mino ri ty knows hardly what

h e is or is not
, ,

sagely h e c on fe rs
his card o f humou rs like a van e ,

veering by fai r to j ungl e foul

s o S hap e s his co urs e

through variabl e ba c k to fin e again .

Th e n
fin gers dangl e ove r him & beanstalks .

chins like bal c o nies impe nd &

kisses like b lank thu nd e r b ang
above th e litt l e mandarin ,

o r lik e a pre cio us Oin tm e nt pre st

from tub e s are di ffe rent kiss e s

frage o f a grin
t o the su f .

H e can outface
a hundred g en e ratio ns wi th a yawn
this Faus tus o f the p ram ,

s p read e agl e d like a S tarfish or

,

some uncooked prawn

with p ink and toothl e ss mandib l e
advanc e the proposition &
‘
I
cry th e re fore I am
,
’

th e b a b y emperor
O lastly s ee
in exile o n his favo urite St H e l e na
.
,

3 0
corn e r Of a lost playground gazing
into a da rk well ,

manufacturing image s o f a l o st past ,

expense of S pl rl t in a waste o f l o ngin g ,

s ea nymphs hourly
-

ring his knell .

small famulus Of Time &

b o rn to the l egation Of o ur dark unknowin g
the se e d was n o t y our
s owing nor did y o u make these tall
,

unto ppled walls

t o sit here like a prisoner remem b erin g
o nly as a poem now
the p ast th e white breasts
,

that once leaned

3 1
 NO T E B OO K

Mo th e rs and sculptors work

By small re h e ars e d c are ss e s In the block
E a c h to red ee ming e nds ,

By s hame or kiss e s print

Good citizens good lovers and good fri e nds
,
.

Yo ur impat i e nt her o s o admired

I n all his e pic scen e ry
Was suc h a ve ssel once unfi red
, ,

A c haos o n the whe e l and ro c ke d

In a muse o n the wo mb s dark Galilee
’
.

And the love rs tho se tw o characte rs

, ,

Who have their exits and their entrances ,

A certain native s tyle may give

As p redeterm i ned in the bone ,

S pe ak through the crude gags Of the grave .

Th e ir l uc k and hazard re sts my dear

, ,

S O ligh t ly o n us In o ur d reams
As voice s ri c h with tears ,

Whom no po e tic justice gave

A friendship mad as ours .

3 2
 MAR EO TI S

Fo r D ia na Gould

N ow everyw h e re Spring opens

Like an e yelid still unfocused ,

Unsharpened in ex p ression yet o r de p th ,

B ut smilin g and entire S tirrin g fro m s le e p

,
.

B irds be gin swindlers of the m o rnin g

,
.

Fl owers and the wild ways be g in &

And the bo d y s navi gation in its lo ve
’

Thr ough win gs messages telegrams

, ,

L oo se and unbodied r o am the wo rl d .

O n l y we are held here o n the

—
Rati o ned l o ve a l andscape like an eye ,

Where the wind gnashes by Mareo tis ,

Sti ffens the reeds and glistenin g salt ,

And in the ancient r oads the wind ,

No t su b tl e n o t co nfi d ing t o uches o nce a gain

, ,

The melanch ol y el b o w chee k and p a p er .

33
 P HI L ER E MO

A p hil o s op her in search Of human va l ues

Might have seen somethin g in the c o arse
Black bo o ts the guide wore when he led uS
B o ots with cracke d eyes and intr o s pective
Laces rich in historical e rror as this
,

O ld wall we p icke d the m o ss from readin g

,

Int o I t I nvasions by the D orians o r Medes .

B ut the b e arded arb ore a l historian

Saw nothin g Of it all was n o thing then
,
.

His education had d e rail e d th e man

Until he m o ve d a literary reminis c ence
, ,

Thro u gh qu o tations o nly fin e as hair&

,

The stones sp o ke to him Refle cted there

.

In a ciste rn I heard you thinking & E uro p e

Als o th e whol e O f o ur ego petal culture
,

Is d o ne fo r and must vanish so o n .

And S till we have n o t undergone the po et s truth

’
.

C o uld he comfort us in more than this

Blue sea and air c oh e ring blandly
Acr o ss that haze Of flats ,

The smoking middens Of o ur history

Aware p erhaps o nly o f the two children
Asleep in the car beside a bear in c o tton gl o ves &

34
 B L I N D HO ME R

A winte r night again and the m o on

,

Loos e ly inks in th e marbles and retire s .

The six pin e s whistl e and stre tc h and there ,

E astward th e l o ad e d b rush Of morning pauses

Wh e re the few Grecian S tars sink and revive

E ach night in glitterin g baths o f s o und .

No w t o the winter each has given up

Decidu o us s tuff the snake skin and th e antl er
, ,

Cast skin o f po etry and the grap e .

Blind Homer th e lizards s till sup the heat

,

From the ro cks and still th e Sp ring

, ,

Noiseless as c o ins o n hair repeats

H e r di p hthong after diphthong end lessly .

E xchange a glance with o ne wh o se art

Cons p ires with intros pection against loneliness

This Fe b ruary 1 94 6 puls e normal nerves at rest

, ,

Heir to a like dis o rder o nly lately gr own

,

Much m o re unce rta in Of his gift with wo rds ,

B y this pl ate o f Olives this dry inkwell

,
.

35
 TH E L O S T CIT IE S
Fo r P a d dy an d Xa n

O ne S he floats as Ve ni c e migh t ,

Bloa te d among her amb igui tie s &

What h e b e tud e o r ca re l e s sne s s S ho re d up
Go ths we re no t smart e no ugh to c ap ture .

Th e city y es & th e wate r& not t he S tyl e

,
.

H e r disposs e s s ion now may seem to us

Idl e and ridi culo us quivering
,

in the swoll e n woodwo rk O f thes e

Floa ting c arc as e s Of th e doge s ,

Dissolvi ng into spires and c age s O f wa te r

Ve nice blown up and turni ng green
,
.

Anoth e r we ars out humbly like a c raft

Re d wells wh e re the potte r s th umb ’

Seal e d his jars of guarantee d Oil .

Tha t flu e nt th umb whi ch pre ss e s

O n his t o ry s v ib ra ting S tring
’

Pressing here th e re in a wound e d place

, ,
.

S o me have left names only& Ca rthage &

Wh e re th e trave ll e r may squeeze o ut
A fe w dro p s O f ink o r sal t ,

O n dese rted p romontori e s may t hink

‘
N O w o nder A rive r on c e turned ove r
.

In its S l eep and all the ci ties fl e d .

’

Now in Gre e ce which is not yet Greec e

The adversary was als o S trong .

Yet here the serfs have built their disc o ntents

As Sp id e rs do t heir j unc t ions h e re , ,

3 6
 L E VAN T

Gum , oats and syrup

Th e Arabians bo re .

E voking no th ing from the s ea b ut mo re

And more e mploy to Christe n t h em
With wh ips Of s al t and gl itte ri ng sp ray ,

Th e i r wood e n home s ro c ke d on the c haste ning

Lamps on al tars bre a th of c h ildre n;

,

S O coming and goi ng wi t h th e ir talk of bal e s ,

Ladi ng and e nte rp ris e s marke d Out

And fe ll o n this rus ty harbo ur
x

Wh e re tills gre w fat with cash R

And t he q uills O f J e ws inve nte d c re di t ,

And in marg ins fold e d up

Bal e s gum arab ic and syrup;
,
-
,

Syrian barl e y in b ifled c ora c l e s

H ugg ing t he b urking g ulf or blown
As c a rgo e s from the vi ny bre ath
O f mariners the Engl ish o r the D utch
,
.

In manne rs taught the m nothi ng muc h

Be yond the e nd uran ce in the vil e .

Le ft in histo ry wo rds like

Por tugu e s e or Greek
Whos e bas tards c an S till speak and smil e .

After this lamps

,

Confus e d the fore ign e rs;

Boys women and d rugs
,

B uilt t hi s ant h ill for g ra m marians

-

Who fed upon th e fa th e rs fat with c ash ,

3 8
Turned oats and syrup h e re
TO ribbons and wands and rash
Pate nts for s e x and fe a th e rs
,

Swee ts for fe stivals and d e aths .

No t hin g chan ges Th e indi ffe rent

.

O r the me rely good di e d Off b ut fixe d

,
‘
Here once the human t ype L e vant ’
.

Somethin g fin e Of too th and with th e soft

Hanging las h e s to th e e ye
,

Give n o nce by S p ain and ke pt

In a mad friendship h e re and sadness
By th e p romiscuo us sea upon this spit o f sand .

S o mething m o ney or p r o mises can buy .

39
 RO D IN I

Windless plane trees a bove R od ini

-

To th e pencil o r the eye are tempters

Where of late trees have becom e ears in leaf

Curve d for the c icada s first monotony
’

Hollow the comb m e llow the swee tne ss

Amber the honey S poil dri nk drink
-
, ,
.

In th e s e windl e ss un e choing vall eys

The mi nd sli p s like a chisel hand -

Touchi ng the surface o f this cl eme nt blue

Yet mus t no t damage the s o litary Turk

Gathe rin g his team and S i nging in wh o s e brain ,

The same disord e r and the l o ne liness

The what we have in c o mmon Of us all

- - - -
.

Is th e re enough perhap s to fo und a w o rld &

The n Of what you said once the p assin g ,

O f somethin g o n the ro ad be yond the tombsto nes

Refle c ting o n dark hair with its sudden theft

O f blu e from the darkness Of vi o lets

And b e low th e nape of the n e ck a mo l e

All mixe d in this Odou rl e ss water c lock Of hours -
.

4 0
For the invention Of time lustration
,
Of penitents ,
 TH E E G G

Who first wrap ped l ove in a green l eaf ,

And S pread warm wings on the e gg o f death ,

That my h e art was hatched like a sm o oth sto ne ,

And lov e in a gre e n leaf l o cked &

Pity was nake d &w ho dri e d h e r feathers

By th e anci e nt pillow with c old ankl e s &

( Pity,
my fri e nd ,
fe ll in with th e scor p i o n
Murder with his b o tt le to ok m y sweet ) .

Who found passion with o ut a le g ,

Shrieked like the canticle o f a ghost &

A bat spat his bl o od in the nursery .

A vessel in darkness b ut with o ut a c o m p ass .

Ange r first o pe ned the b oo k o f the e gg ,

A bible Of bro ken boys and na tural wo men .

Th e c hoir sang like a be e In a b ush ,

And h unger the do g b ummed in his p aws

, ,
.

No w t ime wra pped in a green b ay leaf

is -
,

And a R oman summer c o vers the underw o rld

O re me mber th e heart hatched like c o ld st o ne
And love in a gre en l e af locked .

4 2
 E GYP TIAN PO E M

And to day d e a th c omes to the ho use .

TO day upo n th e wate rs the suns e t sa il

-
, ,

D e ath e n te rs and th e swallow s eye ’

Und e r the roo f is no large r and darke r

Than this s ce nt o f d e a th .

A discipl e c ross e d ove r by wate r .

Th e aco rn was plan te d .

In the Ionian villa amo ng the marble

The fountain plays the s e a s piano ’

And by th e c lo ck the ge ome tri c philosoph e r

Walks in white li ne n wh il e dea th
Squats in the swallow s eye’
.

The dogs are muzzl e d Lord .

,

See to th e outer gate o ur prote ctio n

,
.

I rest b e tween the born and the unborn .

The father the mo ther th e baby u nic o rn

, ,

Intercede for me attended the ch ristening

,
.

E xemp t me .

I have friends in the underwo rld .

43
 A S MA LL S C R IP TU R E

No w when t he
angl e r by Be thl e hem s wate r ’

Like a sad tree thre w down his tranc e

What good was the n ee dl e o f re s urrection ,

A bat like so ul for the fa ther Adam

-
,

But to b ury in hays ta c ks of c ommon argument

The Fish s living ordinance
’
&

A ble e ding e gg was the pain o f testament ,

M urd e r of s e l f within murder to reach the Self&

The grapn e l o f fury like a husband s razor ’

Turned o n his daughte r in a weird enchantment

To cut o ut the ir o n mask from the iron man ,

His doubl e th e troubled elf

,
.

No w one eye was the cyclop s monstrous rati o n

’

But t his fa c e looke d forward to H e liop o lis ,

Rehears e d its charm in o t her e xilic love rs

Go d b o und near E den o n the crutch e s o f guilt;
-

Aimed like a pistol throu gh the yell o w eyes

Y o ur h eart and mine know th e t ruth of this .

This we make to the double Jesus the n o npareil

, ,

Whose th o ught snappe d Jordan like a dam .

D arling and b ully wi th the bl o ody taws ,

B o th walked in this tall que en by the green lake .

B o th marri e d when the aching nail sank h o me .

Wee p for the li o n kneel to the lam b

,
.

44
 A T E P I D A U R US

The islands which whisp e r to the amb itious ,

Washed all winte r by the surviving stars

Are here hardly re c all e d & o r o nly as
Stone choirs for the s ea bird -
,

Stone c hairs for th e stat ues o f fishermen .

This c ivilized valley was dedi c ated to

The cul t o f th e circl e the contemplation
,

And correction o f famo us maladi e s

Which th e re peating flesh has bred in us als o
By a continuous babyhood like th e w o rm in meat
, .

The o nly disorder is in what we bring here

Cars drifting like l e ave s over the glades ,

The penetration o f clocks strikin g in Lond on ,

The com p osure o f dolls and fanatics ,

Financed migrati ons to th e Old e st sources

A t h e atre wh e re red e mp tion was enac ted ,

Repentance won t he stones h e avy with dew

,
.

Th e Olive signs the hill signifyin g revival

, ,

And th e swallow s c o t in th e ruin seems how

’

Small ye t d e fiant an e xaggeration o f love &

Here we can carry our o wn small d e aths

With the resignation o f p lace and id e ntity ;
A temp l e s e t s everely like a dice
In the vale s Vergilian S hade; once app arently
’

Ruled fro m the white st light of the summer&

A fo rmula for marbl e when the clouds
Troubl e d th e architect and the hill spoke
,

Volume s o f thunder the sibyllic go d we p t

,
.

He re we are safe from eve rythin g but ourselves ,

4 6
Th e dying l e ave s and the re ports of love .

Th e land s li e h e ld safe from the sea

’

, ,

E n c ourage s th e austerity of th e grass c hamb e rs ,

Pro vid es a c onte xt und e rstandably natural

For me n who c o uld div ulge the forms of gods .

He re the math e ma ti cian ente re d his o wn probl e m ,

A hous e b uilt ro und his id entity ,

R o und the fond ye t mys te rio us seasons

O f green gras s the te a ching Of s umme r astronomy
,
-
.

He re th e love r mad e his c al culations by fe rns ,

And th e hum of the c h o rus enc hanged .

We like th e winte r are only visitors

, , ,

To prosper h e re the bre athi ng grass ,

En c o uraging p e tals on a te rra c e dis turbin g ,

Nothing endu ring th e s un like girls

,

In a town window Th e e arth s flowe r

.
’

Blows h e re o rig inal with e ve ry spring ,

Shines in th e rising of a man s ag e ’

Into c old text s and pre c e d e nts for time .

Everything is a S lave to th e an c e stor th e o rd e r ,

O f old c aptains who sl ee p in the hill .

Th e n smil e my d e ar abov e the holy wands

, , ,

Make the ind e finite ge s ture Of th e hands ,

Unlo cking this wo rld whi ch is not o ur world .

Th e somnamb ul is t s walk aga i n In th e north

With th e lo ng bla ck rifl e s to b ring us answers
,
.

Us e l e ss a morality fo r S lave s &us e l e ss

The S h o u ting at e cho e s to s il enc e the m .

Most us e l e ss inhab itants of th e kind bl ue air ,

Four ragge d trave ll e rs in Homer .

All causes end within th e gre at B e caus e .

47
 G R EE K CH UR CH& A LE X A N D R I A

The evil and the g oo d seem undistin guished ,

Indeed all half aslee p ; their c o min g was

NO el o quent p r o positi o n o f natures
To o dense for materia l ends quartered in p ain
,
.

B ut a p r op itiation b y dreams o f be l ief

A relief fr o m the chafing ropes o f th o ug ht .

Piled high in By zane like a treasure shi p -

The church hee l s o ver sinking in s o und

,

And yell o w lam p light while the arks and tro lleys
And blazing cr o ckery o f the o rth o d o x Go d
Make it a fearful po m p fo r peasants ,

A s o rcery t o the b lack c o ated rati o na l

-
,

To the t own g irl an adventure an adventure

-
,
.

N o w however a ll hums and s o ftl y s p ins

Like a great t op the many headed bl ack
,
-

Maj o rity merged in a sing le sea she l l - .

Idle th o u g hts p ress in amazin g o ne

,

H o w the the ologians with b eard s of fire

D ivided us u pon the bo i l in g g rid of th o u g ht ,

O r with dividers s p un fo r us a fine

—
C o nnivin g c obwe b tra p s fo r the s o ul .

Three sail o rs stand li ke broo ms .

The altar has O pened l i ke a h o neyco m b;

An erect and flashin g deac on like a des po t h o wl s .

Sure l y we mi ght o urse l ves ex hal e

O ur fau l ts l i ke rain bo ws o n this incense &

4 8
Who cut my hair this m o rn i n g would go flying
,

No t stand a ho pe less wind ow bo und and awkward

, ,
-

Child at this sill o f p o mp

,

49
 TO ARGOS

The roads lead sou thward blu e,

Alon g a circumfe re nce o f snow ,

Identified now by the scholars

As a hom e for th e c yc lops a habitati o n
,

For ny mphs and anci e nt appearance s .

O nly th e S h ep herd in his cowl

Who walks upon them really knows
The natural histo ry in a sacre d place;
Take s lik e a te xt of stone
A familiar clo ud S hap e or fortre ss
-
,

Pointing at what is mut ually seen ,

His dark eyes wearing the c rowsfo ot .

O ur idols have b ee n betrayed

No t by th e me asureme nt o f th e dead on e s
Who are lying und e r th ese mountains ,

AS und e r En g land our o wn fastidio us

He ro es lie awake b ut do not judge .

Winter rubs at the ice like a hai r ,

Dividi ng ti m e; and a singl e tre e

Re fl e cts h e re a myt hical river .

Wate r limps o n ice o r s c ribbles

,

O n d o ors o f sand its syllabl es ,

All alon e in an e m p ty land alone

, ,
.

This is what breaks the heart .

We s ay that the blo o d of Virgil

Gre w again in th e s carlet pompion ,

Eve r afte rwards re s e rvin g th e Old p oet

Memorials in his air his wate r&s o
,

In this land o ne en c o unters always

50
Agame mnon Agame mnon; th e voi c e
,

O f wate r falling o n hair in c ave s

,

Th e s to neb reaker s hamme r o n walls

’

A name h e ld c los er in the c ircl e s

O f bald granite than e ve n the s e c yclamen ,

Like c hildren s e ars attentive here

’

Blown l ike glass from th e flo o rs o f snow .

Truly we the endowed who pass here

,

With the assurance of Vl S l tOI S in rugs

‘

Can rais e from th e menhir no gh o st

By the c old so und of English idioms .

Our true pa renthood re sts with t he e agle ,

We re cogniz e him turning ove r his vaults .

Bone s hav e no mou ths to smil e wi th

From the b e ds of companionabl e rive rs dry .

Th e mod e rn girls pose on a tomb smiling;

Night watc h e s us on the we ste rn horn ;
Th e hyssop and th e vin e gar have lost th eir meaning ,

And this is what bre aks th e h e art .

5 1
 FA TH E R N I C H O LAS H I S D E ATH
C O R FU

Hush th e Old bon e s th e ir ve ge tabl e s l e ep ,

For the islands will n eve r grow old .

No r like Atlantis on a Monday tumbl e ,

Stru ck like soft g ongs in th e amazi ng blu e .

Di p the S kull s chi nks in li c hens and sl ee p

’

O ld man b e sid e th e water gentry

,
-
.

Th e h e ro S tandin g kn ee d ee p in his dre ams

-

Will find and bind th e nam e upo n his atla s ,

And put b e sid e it only an X marke d spo t .

Leave mem o ry to the t wo tall so ns and li e

Calmed in smiles by th e e l e giac bl ue .

A man s address to God is th e ske l e t on s h umo ur

’ ’

A music sip ped by th e flowe rs .

Consider pleas e th e continuo us nature of Love

How one man dying and anoth e r smili ng
Cons e rve for th e maggot only a see d of pity ,

As in winter s tac i t urn womb we s ee alre ady

’

A small and wooll en lamb o n a hilltop hOpping .

The dying and the b ec o ming are one thing ,

S o wh e re ve r y o u g o th e musi cal always is;

Now what are your p ains to the Gre at Danub e s pains ’

Y o ur p yramids o f des p air against I thaca

O r the underground rivers o f Dis &

5 2
 THAS O S

Indi ffe rent history &In s uch a pl ac e

Can we c hoos e w hat re ally ma tte rs most &

Three h und re d oa rs m unc he d up the gulf .

A tyrant fe ll Th e wis e m en turne d t he ir b e ds

.

—
To fa ce the E ast this was war Or e l s e
.

Ea ting and e xcreting rais e d to th e ra nk of arts

—
S p o rting th e broad purpl e this was p e ac e ,

For demago g ue s e xhaus te d by s ensations .

Fro m covens of delight th e y bro ught

Th e silver lampreys s e rve d on d e ath le ss c hargers
By c ooks of polity and matc hl e s s tac t .

O nl y th e ir po e ts di ffe red in b e i ng free

Fr o m the historic c o nscio usness and its
’

De fe ats &wis e s e rvan t s o f th e magn e t and

The sieve against this human b a c kd rop to l d
,

The truth in oracles and n e ver asked t h e ms e lves

In what o r why they never could b e lieve .

54
 A S PH O D E LS & CHAL CI D I C E

‘
N 0 one will e ve r pick t h e m I think , ,

Th e ugly o ff white c l uste rs & all the grace

-

Li e s in the name of d e ath named .

Are th e y a true ce rtificate fo r death & ’

‘
I wonder ’

Yo u
‘
might say that onc e the sage s ,

Death being identified fo rgave it lan guage ,

Called it as p hode l as who sh o uld s ay

“ &

The synonym for scentless c o l o urless , ,

Solitary ,

R ock loving
-
Memory is all o f these .
’

Yes they ass erte d the discipline o f mem o ry

‘

, ,

Which admits o f no re lapse in its

Consignment d oe s not ke e p fo rever
,
.
’

‘
Nor do e s death .
’

Yo u
‘
mean o ur dying NO but when o ne is & ’ ‘
,

Al o n e neith e r hap p y nor unhap py in

, ,

Th e dee pe st a che o f reas on where this l o ve

Becomes a malefactor clinging s o , ,

Y o u surely kn o w

‘
D eath s stock will stand no panic
’

Be beautiful in jars or on a c o ffi n ,

Exonerate the flesh wh e n it has turned

O r m o ck the enigma with an e p itaph
I t n e ver earn e d .
’

55
And y ou may work y o ur way throu gh every

A little mockin g Grecian asphodels

,
.
’
I N TH E GA R D E N & VILL A CLE OB OL US

The m ixture s of this garden

Cond uc t at night th e pine and Ol e and e r ,

Pe rhaps marri e d to dus t s thin e dg e

’

O r l ime wh e re the c ork tree rubs

-

Th e quiet house bruising the wall

,

And dense the blo ck of t hrush s notes ’

P re ss like a bulb and ke e ping t i me

In th is e xpos ur e t o th e leaves
’

And as we wait the servant co mes ,

A candl e shield e d in th e warm

Coarse coral of h e r hand she weaves ,

A pathway fo r h e r in th e golden leaves ,

Gath e rs the books and ashtrays in h e r arm

Walking toward s th e ligh te d hous e ,

B rings with h e r from th e u ninhabite d

Fron ti e rs of the darkn e ss to the kno wn
Tabl e and tre e and c hair
Some half re memb e re d passage from a fugue
-

Playe d from some n e ighbour s garden ’

O n an old horn gramopho ne

-
,

And you think & if g iven once

Authority ove r the word ,

Th en how t o c apture p rais e or measure

,

The full round of this S impl e gard en ,

All its non c halance at b e ing ,

How to adopt and raise its pl e asure &

57
Press as o n a p alate this observed
And sim p le S hap e like wine &
,

And from the many undes e rve d

Tastes of th e m outh s e lect th e crude
Flav o ur o f fru i t In p o ttery
C o l o ured amon g this l ove ly neighb o urhood &

B eyo nd I me an this tre asure hunt

, ,

O f selves the p ains we sort to b e

,

C o nfin e d within the lovin g chamb e r of a form ,

Within a po em locked and launched

Alon g the hairl in e o f the normal mi nd &

Perha p s no t this &but somehow y es

, ,

To o utflank the p e rsona l n e urasthenia

That l ies beyo nd in each e xpiring kiss
B rin g j oy as lustr o us on this dish
,

The painted dancers mo tionl e ss in p lay

S p in for eterni ty des cribi ng for us all
,

The natural history o f the human wish .

 fro m E T E R N A L C O NT E MP O R A R I E S
S IX P O R T R A ITS

II

MA R K O F P A T M O S

Mark has cro ssed over to M ount O livet ,

Puttin g aside the b anneret and the drum .

He inhabits n ow that p art o f himse l f

Which lay fo rmerly des o late and uncol o nized .

He wo rks that what is t o p ass may c o me

And the b irth o f the co mm o n heart he re ali zed .

What p ass e d with him &A fl ower dropped

In the b oat by a friend the cak es
,

His sister b rou ght with the un p osted letter .

Yet al l the island loafers watched disturb ed

, ,

The red sails melt into the S ky distended

, ,

And each turned an grily to his l i ghted h o us e

Fee ling not that s o mething m o mento us
,

Had b egun b ut that th e ir commo n childh oo d

,

Had foundered in the Syrian seas and ended .

59
 II I

BA S I L T H E H E RM I T

Banished fro m th e o ld roof tre e Patm o s -

Where the dynasts gath e re d h oney ,

Like dancin g bears with sm o king ritual s

, ,

O r skimmed the fat o f towns with l evy m o ne y -

,

Uncarin g whether G o d or Paradise exist ,

Laid u p themselve s estate s in p rovidence

Whi l e greed crouch e d in each hairy fist ,

Basil th e troub l ed flowe r o f sce p ticism

, ,

Chose him a p e lt and a cairn o f chilly S to ne

, ,

B ecame the author o f a famous schism &

A wick fo r o il a knife a b ro ke n stoo l
, ,

Were all this side o f hell he dared to o wn

, , .

Fo r t wenty ye ars in J e sus went t o scho ol .

O ften looking up h e saw them there

, ,

As from some prism stain e d pool &

-

D ark dots like bi rds along the battlements ,

O ld r oo ks swaye d in a rotte n tre e .

They wave d & h e did not answer although he ,

Fe lt kindly to t hem all for they could do

,

What he co uld not& h e d id not dare t o p ray .

His inner prohibiti o ns were a sea

O n whi ch h e floated s pe llbound day by day .

Wo rld and its feve rs howled outsid e & withi n

Th e O men and th e Fre t that hemme d him in ,

Th e s ens e of his c ompl e te unwor thi ne ss

Pressed each year slowly tighte r like a to urniquet .

6O
 V

P A NA G I O T I S O F LI ND O S

D ark birds in natu re re devis e

Th e ir linings e ve ry ye ar& are not
Th e less like these we aving fish e rmen
B en t so exactly at th e ir ta tte re d s e i ne s
O n a rotte n wharf th e i r molte n catc h
,

No w sold and load e d & tho ugh t h e y fe a ther only

Fo r fathoms of s ea and th e fish e s within it ,

Nee dles passmg I n a surf of lights .

Panagio tis has re s igne d it all

x

Fo r an ename l can and Oliv e s had e

His c o ncern a tavern prospect ,

Mil e s o f swee t ch e stnut and borage .

This armamen t of win e h e share s now

With the greatest p hilosopher the l east ,

Invento r the meanest d o ctri n e o f rest

, ,

Mixin g l e isure and re pose lik e win e and wate r ,

Tutor and pupil in th e cra te r .

His dark Sl e ep is b ruised b y ea c h

Sink o f the sun b e low the castl e
Where the S p o rades have o pened
Th e ir s pokes and the wh ol e Aegean
,

In b ri l liant s o da turns the darkenin g bays .

 P E NE L O P E

Lo ok o n that hill we met

,

O n this sh o reline p arted .

The experts sailed o ff n o rthwards

With their s p ears with th e c o nnivance
,

O f oracl es to back them I remained

. .

Tears wei g h littl e u p on the hands ,

Tears weigh less in t he eye than s ee ds

Shaken fro m the fe ve rish to tals
Blossomin g o n time s p r o n o uncin g tree
’
.

Th e seas o ns file the ir summaries

O verheard by the echoes in the wells ,

O ve rl oo ked by the mirrors sh o d in h o rn ,

Copie d by s p ies interp reters o r witnesses

,
.

The augurs in the delta have n o t once

Fore seen this dust u po n an age in g eyeball ,

Vitreous as sea s pun glass this b lack

-
,

Sperm o f winter sea we wa l k beside ,

The marbl e o nanism o f these nymphs .

 MATAPAN

Unrev is itedp e rhaps fore ve r

Sou t hward from th e capes of s moke
Where past and present to t he wa ters are one
And the peninsula s end points out
’

Three fi ngers down the night &

O n a c orridor o f darkn e ss a b e am
To wh e re the islands at last th e islands
, ,

Abstrac t and more love ly

Andros Delos and Santorin ,

Transpo nti ne h e adlands in crisp weather ,

Cries amputated by the gulls ,

F o rm less yet mad e in marbl e

,

Whos e calm insolu b le statues wear

Sto ne vines fo r hair foreve r s harin g
,

A sea penumbra the darkened are

-
,

Where mythology walks in a wave

And the islands are .

Leaving y o u hills we were unaware

, ,

O r only as sl ee pwalke rs are aware

O f a k e y tu rned in the heart a l e tter ,

Poste d und e r the do o r of an empty ho us e;

Now Matapan and her forebodings
Be cam e an identity a trial of cond uct
, ,

R oll e d and unroll e d by the surge s

Like a chart mapp e d by a star
, ,

With this tle and trefoil blowin g ,

An end of e verything known

A beginning o f wate r .

64
 Here s o rro w a nd bea uty s ha red
L ike t im e a nd p la ce a n et erna l l
re a t on, i

Here we lea rned t ha t t he lo ver

[s co nt a ined by lo ve, n0 t cont a ining,
M a tap a n, M a tap a n

Here th e l ucky in s ummer

Tied up th e ir boats; a mile from land
The c icada s small mac hine cam e like a b rea th;
’

Touchin g bott om saw their fee t b e co me

Webbe d and monstrous on th e sandy floors .

Here wind e mptied the snowy caves & the b rown

Hands about th e tiller unbuckl e d .

Day lay like a mirror in th e s un s eye ’

.

O lives slee p ing rocks hanging sea shining

, ,

And und e r Arbutus th e scriptural musi c

O f a pi pe b e sid e a boy besid e a bay
Soliloquised in seven liquid quibbles .

He re the lu cky in summer

Mad e fast like island e rs
And saw upon the wate rs l eaning down ,

The haunte d e ye s in face s to rn from books

S o p ainted the tw o d ark bl ue Aegean eyes
-

‘
And 05 6; Sin s G o d the Just
0 a to
‘
’

Under them upon th e rotting pr ows .

Inhabitants of reflecti o n going &

We saw th e dog ros e abloom in bowls
-
,

Faces of wishing children in the we lls

65
Under the Acr op olis the time l e ss urchin
Carryin g the woo den swall o w ,

Te ller o f the spring; o n the hills o f hair

O ve r Ath ens saw the ni ght e x haling .

Late r in islands awa i ti n g p assage

, ,

B y waters like skin and pro montories ,

We re blessed by the r o tati o n

O f p each wind melon wind
-
,
-
,

Fig wind and wind o f l e mons;

-

Eve ry fru i t In the r o tati o n of its brea th .

And in the hills enco untered

Saga c ious and venerab le faces
Like horn s poo ns & fo rms o f address
C hristian name s p o liten e ss to stran gers
,
.

Hea rd the a nt s p as to ra l reflectio

’

Here I go in Arca d ia one t wo

‘
,

S aflron, sa
g e, berga m o t , rue,

A roo t , a ha ir, a bea d — a ll wa rm .

A hum anfi nger s wa rm ing

A m a rried m a n
’
.

In a late winter o f mist and pelicans

S aw th e thre ad run o ut at last; th e man
Kiss his wife and child good b ye -

Und e r th e olive p re ss turning o n a heel

-
, .

To ente r Ap ril like swimmer ,

And me mory O p ened in him like a ve in ,

Pushed clear o n th e tides a pathl ess keel .

66
Standin g al o ne o n th e hills
Saw all Gre e c e the human
,

Body o f this s ky s uspe ndin g a world

Within a crystal turni ng ,

Guard e d by th e gre en wicks of cyp resses .

Far out o n th e blu e

Like note s o f music o n a page

They are a lway s there .

It is
 AN E CD O T E S

I N CAI RO

Garc ia whe n you drew Off those two

,

White b ullfi ghting glove s your hairy

Finge rs spread th e ms e lve s apart ,

And t he n c o ntra c ted to a hand again ,

Atta ched to an arm leading to a heart

, ,

And I s udd enly s aw th e cottage s c e n e

Wh e re t he kno c king on th e doo r is repeated
Nobody answe rs I t& b ut insid e th e room
The fox has its h e ad u nd e r th e mad man s shi rt ’
.

IN CA I R O

Nos tos h o m e & a lgas pain & nostalgia

Th e homing pain fo r s uc h as are atta c hed

O do urs that hit and re b uff in som e gard e n
B e hind the c onsul s ho us e the shutters drawn
’

In th e dark s tree t b rus h e d by a woman s laugh ’

.

Ursa Majo r to th e sailor co uld spell wounds ,

Mo re than th e mauling of the north e rn b e ar ,

At the hub Of th e green wh ee l S tanding on the sea

,
.

Home for most iswhat y o u can least bear .

Ego gigno lum en, I b e g e t light

68
Th e fuln e ss o f b e ing is no t in re fin e me nt ,

B y the delimitati o n o f the Object but ,

In roundness the emb osomin g of the Real

,
.

Th e e gg the cone the rhomb us & o rders of re ali ty

, ,

Which d e claim coldly against the re ason &

We may surround and view from eve ry sid e ,

We may exp ound bre ak Into fi e lds of thought

, ,

But qualifyin g in this mann e r only S p o il

O n this d e ro gatory whe e l stands Man .

Now who is gre ate r than his gre ate st appeti e t &

Who is weake r than th e l e ast o f his fears &

Who claims that h e can match t h e m perfe ctly ,

App rehend e d without to unap p re hended within &

We Gre e ks we re ta ught how to e xh aust id e as ,

Me lissa b ut first b e gin with pe o pl e Th e re we score &

,
.

No R oman und e rstood our s unny concupisce nce ,

The fast re publican c olo ur of o ur val ue s .

Philos o phy wi th us was no t worked o ut .

We us e d exp eri en c e up The rest preci p itated

. .

So o n we were still alive & but n o thin g e ls e was left .

IN A T H EN S

At last with fo ur peroxid e whore s

Like dop e d marigolds gro wing upon bal c ony ,

We wai t fo r s un ris e all cons c ripte d

,

7 O
From o ur passions by th e tedi um and sp l ee n ,

Whil e the ri c h d ews are forming

O n the mind of spa c e alre ady thi ck enough
To cut with s c yth e s on th e web marbl e s
O f Ac ropolis inte ntions murd e red by th e cold
, ,

I take her in my arms a cobwe b full of diamonds

, ,

Whi c h by some c ulture might b e tears or pearls

O ne s peaks Turkish slender as an il e x, ,

Half asl e e p is boilin g an egg;

A Jewe ss love ly c onspirato rial
, , ,

O ve r a S pirit lam p by an hour glass

- -

TOO small to have b ee n mad e for timing

Anythin g mu c h longer than a kis s .

VI

AT A L E X AN D R I A

Wind among prisms all tonight a gain

Alon e again awake again in the S ufi s hous e
,
’

Cum b ere d by this un e xp i ring love ,

Jamme d like a cartrid ge in t he breech

Leaving the bed with its d ente d pill ow ,

The married shoes alert upon th e floor .

Is life more than the sum of its errors &

Tubs Of cl e ar flesh e gy ptian women &

,

Favours kohl nigge r s taste of seeds

, ,
’

Pe p per o r l emon b re aking from o n e s teeth

,
’

Bifurcated as the gro aning stalks o f c e l e ry .

7 I
Mu c h later c omes th e tapping o n the pan e l .

The raven in the gro unds &

At four thi rty th e sm e ll of satin l e ather
,

Ra in falling in th e mirror abov e th e mad

J umbl e d pots of e xp e nsive s c e nt and fard ,

And t he s ens e of so m e gre at impending scandal .

VII

AT A L E X AN D R I A

Some time we shal l all c o me toge ther

And I t W l ll b e tim e to p ut a stop
To t his littl e rubbin g toge th e r of minimal words ,

To l e t th e Word Pri m e re pos e in its mod e

As yolk in it s fort of albume n re poses ,

Con tente d by the circ ula r proprie ty

O f its hammo c k in th e formal brea thin g egg .

Mu c h as in s c ulp ture th e id e a
Mus t not of its o wn ane c dotal grossn e ss
Sink thro ugh th e armature of the mate rial ,

The mod e l of its earthly clothing &

But be a plumbline to its weight in s p ac e

The whol e re stin g upon the id e ogram

As on a knifeb lad e ne ve r re ally cutting
, ,

Ye t always S harp like this ve ry me tapho r

,

Fo r p erpetual and us eles s s uffe rin g exposed

By consci enc e in the very act o f writin g .

7 2
 VIII

IN P A TM O S

Qui e t ro om four candl e s re d wine in pottery

, ,

Our c o nv e rsa tion b urni ng lik e a fus e ,

In this con e of l ight like som e e mulsion &

Aristarc h us o f Samos was only half a man
B e li eving h e could mak e it all c oh ere nt
Wi tho ut th e muddled l imits o f a woman s arm ’

Darning a ladder warmin g the b e ggi ng bowl

,
- .

Qui e t forc e of c andl e s bu rni ng in pools of oak ,

Cond uc te d by the annals of th e word

Towards poor Aristarc h us I f h e w as o nly half
.

A m an Me lissa th en I am th e othe r half

, , ,

Not in b e l iev ing wi th him but by failing t o .

IX

I N PATM O S

‘
Art ad o rns Thus Galbo
’
. .

Proconsuls sho uld be t aught to l e av e art alone ,

B e fore we came the me n of t he e ast

Knew it c ontaine d a c api tal me taphysi c ,

As ch e ss once found e d in astro nomy

D egen e rated into the game we know .

Fo rthe We ste rn man Of this Ego petal Ag e

Cant rules pains and proh ibi t ions
, , ,

Each with its violent repulsive forc e .

73
O nly in this still r ound t ouch in g hands
, ,

To live and lapse and die cre ate d ,

As Socrates di e d p e nniless to l e ave a fortun e .

I N B RI TA I N
Whe n they b r o u ght o n the sleep ing child
Bandage d o n its glittering trolley
O n e could think no more o f anecd o te s &
Ugly Sap p h o lyin g und e r an a c o rn wishin g ,

Cyran o disc o untenanced by a nos e like a wen ,

My fath e r s S had o w tellin g me three times

’

N o t to play with the scissors & No ne o f this ,

But of s o methin g inanimate ab out t o be cut u p

A l o af with the oven scent o n it e xhaling
A b reath o f sa c rific e clouding th e knife
,
.

I N B R I TA I N
Instead o f this or that fi c titious wo man
Marry a cloud and carve it in a likene s s .

XII
I N RH O D ES
Incision of a comb in hair& li p s stained
Blue as glass windows with the grapes
We p icke d and tasted b y ourselves in Greece .

74
Suc h was th e ye ste rday that made us
Ap p ro p riate s o f a place c lub me mb e rs
,
-

O f an Ol e ander grove asl eep in chairs

-
.

XIII

I N P AR I S

I n youth th e d e cimal days for sp ending

No w in ag e th ey fall in hea p s about me
Thick in c o n c ussion as the a p pl e s
Bouncin g o n drums t o multi p ly the s e asons
O n the floors of s c e nted granari e s ,

In memory Old barn wrapped up in S traw

, ,
.

L itera rum o blivio N o w th e R omans

Are go in g t o g e t the chance t h e y ask for ,

That hate d jurist s tongue ’

Th e ir violence will b e greate r than ours .

Happily we shall not live to s ee it ,

M e lissa nurs e augur s pe cial s e lf

, , ,
.

O nce the statues line d the whol e main S tree t -

Like ni ghtmare s returnin g from her h o use

, ,

Night afte r night by rosy link light -

,

A ro se b etwe e n my teeth by any o ther name

,
.

Now we sit in linen deck chairs h e re -

Lookin g o ut to sea and e ating olives

From a painte d jar& Flavia did this for me ,

Won me thes e favours this e xile fro m mys el f

,
.

The ex il e I had alre ady b egun within mys e lf ,

She translated like a linguist& Paris .

75
Th e King was a bore & it was no t my fault h e was
I love d h e r b e caus e I d id no t know mys e lf .

I kne w her y e t in t he sh adow c ast by mys e l f

My love was h idd e n How w e d e c e ive o urs e lve s &
.

O nly o ur frie nds know if o ur wive s are fa ithful ,

Th e y will ne v e r te ll us (Marc smiling )

. .

Anyway n o w t his animal c o n c upisce nce

, ,

O f Old ag e in a tre aty port& s till only c ons ul .

Th e me te ors and t he wild mare s

Are g rowing m an e s my d e a r Autumn is o n the way
,
. .

We cro uc h in t he wre cke d s hoo tin g gall e ri e s

-
o f
progress

And whe re you turn bla c k h e ad of grap e s t he sea

, ,

IS bl ue r tha n fo rg e t me nots are bl ue

- -
,

Wh e re the l ing ui s t In y o u paraph ra s e s sadly

Th e h e art must b e ve ry old to fee l s o yo ung .

XIV

I N B E I RU T

A fte r twe nty years anoth e r m ee ting ,

Thos e face s ro und as c ircumsp e c t as e ggsh e lls

,

But in t he c a ndl e light fa rd

-

D e pi c ts its own or igins and e nds

Fl e sh murky as Old horn ,

Hands d ry now as sea biscuit -

,

S ipping th e te rribl e beat of Time

7 6
But both like ge om e tri c al figure s no w ,

Th e n musky carmine, (I am huntin g fo r

Th e p re cise shad e of p i nk for Ac te s mouth & ’

Pink as the s ex o f a ma s ti ff

No w as the gre at p aun c h of this earth

Allows its p unctuati o n by s eeds some to b e ,

Trees some men walkin g as tree s s o the mind

, ,

O ffers its cake s o f s po re to t i m e in t hem &

The sumptuary pl easure give rs living on
-

In qualiti e s as sure as taste of hair and mouth ,

White p arting s o f th e hair like highways ,

Permutati ons Of a ros e buri e d beneath us no w

, ,

Under the S kin o f thinkin g like a gland

D ischarging its ob li gations in some thing trivial
Say a kiss a handclas p & say a stone te ar
,

They went We did n o t hear th e m l e ave

. .

They came We were no t re ady for them

. .

Then turn i ng the S phere to d e ath

Which like some gre at b anking corporation
Thre ate ns fore c los e s and from all
, ,

O ur p ose s selects the o ne sea chan ge -

Naturally o ne must smile to see him p owerless

No t in t he face of these small fictions
B ut in the greate r o ne they nourished
B y ex haustion Of th e surfaces o f life ,

Leavin g the True Way so that sudd en l y

,

We no l on ge r haunted the stre e ts

O f our native city guilty as a popular sin ger
, ,

Clad in the fur of some wild animal .

7 8
And so at last goodbye ,

Fo r time d oe s n o t heed its o wn e xp enditure ,

As the heart does in makin g o ld ,

Infecting memory with a sigh b y sigh - -

,

O r th e intolerable s up p urating h op e and wish .

It has no copy moves in its o wn

,

Bl ind il l uminati o n seriously ,

Traced s o mewhere p erhap s by a yel low p hil o s op her

M o tionless o ver a swan p an ,

Who found th e door op e n it always is -

Who found the fire banked & it never go e s o ut .

We my dear Me lissa are o nly ty pics of

, ,

This Gracc o Ro man asylum ded icated here

-
,

To an age o f Bogue where the will sticks

,

Like a th o rn under th e ton gue ,

Making o ur accent pain and not comp leteness .

DO not interrup t me Let me finish

Madmen estab lished in the intellect
B y the d o mestic error o f a mind that arran ges ,

Exp lains b ut can never su ffi ciently include &

,

Punishes ex claims but never com p l e tes its are

, ,

To enter the Round No r al l the cab als

.

O f p i ty and endurance in the circus o f art

Will change it till the mains pring will is b r o ken .

79
Yet t he t hing c an b e done as you s ay simply
, ,

By S itting and wa iting t he mystical l e ap

,

Is o nly a figure for it it involve s n o t da ring

,

But t he pa t i enc e b e ing gore d no t to c ry o ut

, ,
.

But p e rhaps e v e n t he d e s ire i ts e lf is dying.

I sho uld like tha t & t o m ake an end o f it .

It is t ime we d id away with t h is ki nd of s uffe ring ,

It has b e c ome a pos e and re fug e fo r th e lazy &

As for m e I mus t do as I was born
And s o mus t y o u& upon the small e r part of the cir c le
We d e si re fulfilme nt I n th e m e a sure of o ur

You kiss make withdraw and pl e ad .

8O
 C O N O N I N E XI L E

Three wome n have sl e pt with my books ,

Penelope among admire rs o f th e ballads ,

Let down h e r hair over my e xe rcis e s

But was hardly aware of me; an author
O f tunes which mad e m e n like performing clo gs;
She did not die but left m e for a S in ger in a wig .

11

Later Ariadn e re ad of The Univers e ,

Made a journ e y und e r th e islands from her o wn

Green home h usband hous e with olive trees
, ,
.

She lay with my words and let me bre ath e

Up on h e r fa c e; la t e r fe ll l ike a gull from the
Gre at l e dge in S c io Re la tions to uch e d her body
.

Warm and rosy from th e oil like a scente d loaf ,

—
No t human any more but not divine as t hey had

111

Yo u who pass the islands will p e rhaps re me mb er

Th e l o ve ly Io n harml e ss patient and in lo ve
, ,
.

O ur quarre ls disturb e d the swallows in the eaves ,

The wild bees could no t work in the vine;

81
Shaken and ill o ne o f true love s e xp e riments
,
’

I t was she wh o lay in th e ston e bath dry e ye d -

,

Havin g the imp ression th at her b ody had b e com e

A hu ge tear ab o ut to dro p from th e e ye of the world .

We n e ver learn e d that marriage is a kind of architecture ,

Th e nursery virtue s were missin g all of them , ,

S o n obo dy c o uld t e ll us why we su ffered .

IV

I t wo u l d b e untrue to s ay that The Art of M a rriage

And the Others & Of P ea ce in the S elfand Of L ove
Bro u ght me no w o men; I rememb er b o d ies arms face s
‘

, , ,

But I have forgo tten their names .

Finally I am here Con o n in exil e on Andros

.

Like a Sp ider in a b ottle writin g th e immortal

Of L ove a nd Dea th throu g h the bo di e s o f thos e
,

Who sle p t with my wo rds but did no t kno w m e .

An Old man with a skinful o f wine

Livin g from p ill ow to poke under a vin e .

At ni ght the sea roars under the cli ffs .

The p ast harms n o o ne wh o lies clos e to the G o ds .

E ven in these n o tes u po n myself I see

I have p ut d own women s names like s o me
’

Phi l os op hical pro po sition A t l ast I understan d

.

82
They were only fo rms fo r my own id e as ,

With name s and m o uths and di ffe re nt vo ice s .

In them I lay with mys e lf my style o f life

, ,

Knowing o nly coi t us with the S had ows ,

B y o ur blu e Aegean which forever

Washes and p ardons and b rings us home .
 B Y TH E LAK E

I f seen by many mind s at on c e your image

As in a pris m fall ing b re aks its e lf
,

Or look ing upwards fro m a gl e aming spoon

D e fie s & a s m il e squee ze d up and vanishi ng
In round e l s of dive rs io n like the moon .

Ye th e re y o u are c onfirme d by th e small e st

Wish o r kiss upo n the rising darkn e ss
But r oo t l e ss as a wic k aflo at in wa te r ,

Fatherless as sho e s walking over de ad leave s;

A pa ti e nt whom no e nvy stirs b ut j oy
And what the harsh c ho rds of expe rie nce leave s

This dark soft e ye s o liquid no w and hoarse

,

Wi th pl e asure & o r yo ur a rms in mi rrors

Combing o ut so ftly hai r
As love ly as a pl ane t s and remote
’
.

How ma ny s e ve ral small fore ve rs

Wh is p ere d in t he ri nd o f th e e ar
M e l is s a by t hi s Me d ite rranean sea e dge
,
-
,

Cap ture d and t old &

How many additions to t he total sil e nce &

Sure ly we in c re as e d y o u by ve ry l ittl e ,

But as with a ne t or gun to make your victims men &

 TH E E N C O UN T E R

At this the l ast yet sec o nd mee tin g ,

Almost the au t umn was p ostpon e d for us

Seas on wh e n the fe rme ntin g l o vers lie

Am on g the gath e red b un c hes quietly .

SOformal was it s o incuri o us

,

The chim e o f g lasses the exp lorer

, ,

The s ol di e r and th e secret ag e nt

With a smile inviting like a target .

S ix Of
a summer e vening y o u reme mb er
, .

Th e painful re h e arsal o f th e smile

‘
And th e w o rds & I am g oing into a decline ,

Pro mised b y summer but by winte r disap po inted .

’

The face was turned as sadly as a hare s ’

Provoked b y prud e nce and discre ti on to re p eat

‘
S o m e of them di e you kn ow o r go away
, ,
.

—
O ur d e nials are only ge s tures can we help it & ’

Turn to another aspe c t o f the thing .

The c ool muslin d ress shaken wi th flo wers

It was n o t the thought t hat was unwo rthy
Knowing all you kn e w it was the fe e lin g
,
.

I dly turning fr o m the o ffe re d tea I s aw

As swimm e rs see th e ir p ast in the lam p li g ht
,

Burnin g particula r fastidious and lost

, ,

86
Same town and c o untry so rting l e tte rs
,

O n a gree n tabl e from many fo re ign ci ti e s

Th e lo ng hare s
’
 P E T R O N TH E D E S E R T FATH E R
,

Wate rbirds sai l ing upon th e darkne ss

O f Mareo tis this w as the beginni ng &
,

D ry re eds t o uc hed by the shallow b e aks he h e ard

O n th e sand trash Of an es t uary ne ar Libya ,

This dens e ye ll o w lake ringing now

,

With the insu p portabl e accents o f the Word .

C o mm o n am o n g the commoners o f p romis e

He illustrate d to the ordinary thos e
Who found n o meaning in the flesh s we akne ss ’

The e legant psychotics o n their c o uches

In Alexandria hardly tem p ted him
, ,

With tal ks o f business war and lovely cl o thes

,
.

The lem o n skinned the gol d the half aware

-
, ,
-

Were c o unte rs for equations he examine d ,

Grave as their statues fashi o ned fr o m the life;

A p i o neer in p leasure o n the l o n g
Linen shaded col o nnades he o ften heard
-

Girls lips p u ff in the nostrils o f the fife

’
.

No w dense cl ouded urine move d the lake

as

Whose waters were to be his ark and fort

B y the harsh creed o f water fowl and snake
-
,

T o the wave polished stone he laid his e ar

-

‘
And said & I dare not ask for what I h o pe ,

And ye t I may no t s peak of what I fear .

’

88
 FUN CHAL

At Funchal th e blackish yeast

O f th e winte r s ea I hated rubbed
And g obbled o n a thousand capes ,

That crumbl e with th e trave ll e r s confidence

’

In b e in g alo ne some who still tre ad

,

D e c ks as if th e y were green lawns ;

But th e wate r coil e d backwards
Like a spring to pre ss its tides
I dl e and uniform as grape s in pre sses
De s cryi ng a ho rizontal mood ,

Th e weath e r S lowing like a pedal

Sme lling of sick and s p ices,

Re d l e ather and th e sp e rmy p oli s h

M e n in boots rub boldly o n t o brass .

But night is always nigh t e ven h e re ,

B e yo nd the intros pe ctive glare

O f the gree n islands on th e awnin gs ,

St Vincent copi e d in the pup ils

.
,

M arrow o f ro manc e and old sea fe ve rs

-
,

S ee n from a sand e d rail above the sharks

O n this half d e ck polished li ke a na pe
-
.

9 0
 A WATE R C O L O U R O F V E NI C E
-

&arian was saying & Flo re nce is yo uth ,

And after it Rave nna age , ,

Th e n Ve nice second childhood

,
- .

The pools Of burning S to ne wh e re time

And water the o ld si ege maste rs
,
-
,

Have run th e ir sap s beneath

A thousand saddle b rid ges -
,

P uffed u p by marble griflins drinkin g ,

And all s e t free to fl o at on loo p s

O f h e r canals like gre at inte stin e s
Now snap p e d o ff like a be rg to float ,

Wh e re no w like oth e rs y o u have co me al o ne

, , ,

To tra p yo ur suns e t in a yellow glass ,

And watch the S ilve rsmith at work

C hasin g the fam o us salver o f the bay

Here sense disso lves com b ine s t o p rint o nly

,

Th e s e b itte n choirs of stone o n water ,

To the rum b le o f old cl o th b ells ,

The c ad g in g Of c o nfe tti p ige ons ,

A boatman sin g ing fro m his long b lack c o flin

To all that has b een said be fore

Yo u can add n o thing only t hat h e re
, ,

Thi ck as a brushstrok e sl ee p has laid

Its fleecy unconce rn on every visage ,

At th e bottom of e very soul a s p oonful o f slee p .

9 1
 C O N O N I N AL E X A N D R I A

Ash h e a p of fo ur cultures
-
,

Bo unded b y Mare o tis a salt lake

, ,

O n which the winte r rain rings and whitens ,

In the waters s tiflens like eyes

,
.

I have b een four years bo und here

A time fo r sen te nces b y the tri p od &
Pro p hecies by those who we re b orn d e ad ,

O r who lo st their character but kep t their taste .

A s ol itary p resumed quite ha ppy ,

Writing th o se interminab l e whinin g l e tters ,

O n th e lo ng b each e s dim p led by the rain ,

Tastin g the island wind

B lown a gainst wet li p s and shutte rs out o f R h o des .

‘
I s ay presum e d but w o uld n o t have it o therwise
’

,
.

Ste p s go down to the port

Beyond th e Pha ros O my fri e nds
.
,

Su re ly t h e s e nightly visitations
O f islands in on e s sl ee p must soon be o ver
’
&

I have watc h e d besid e th e o thers ,

But always the mo re at t e nt i v e t he mo re exacting

,

The familiar pape rs o n a tabl e by th e bed ,

The p late of Olive s and the glass o f win e .

9 2
O n terraces where the fo untains plane at time ,

To l eave this smal l acid p reci p itate to mem o ry ,

O f somethin g small screwed up and thro wn aside

,
-
, .

lucky At leas t they wound

‘
P a rti ngs like thes e
’
a re . .

And later by the hearths t one o f a p hiloso p hy

‘
You mi ght have added & The desert y es for exiles , ,
.

But its imm ensity o nly c o nfines one further .

Its end seems always in o neself .

’

A gown stained at the arm p its by a wo man s bo d y

-
’
.

A letter unfinished because the ink gave o ut .

The l o vers yo u describe as s ep a rattng each o ther

‘

Further wit h every kis s & and y o ur po rtrait

’

‘
O f a man engaged in bit terly wa iting
For the d ay when a rt s hould becom e unneces s a ry
’

We re in the S tyle and order as wh e n you say ,

‘
Freed om a lone confi nes ; b ut d o they sh o w a love
’

Fragmented everywhere b y c o nscience and deceit ,

Endin g o n this c o ast o f t o rn o ut li ghth o uses

- &

O r that ne g lected and unmerited Habit ,

The struc ture that s o long informed o ur growth &

Questions fo r a nursery wall &But are they true to these &

I have p assed all this day in what they wo uld call patience .

No t writin g alone i n my wind o w with my flute

, , ,

Having read in a l e tter that last imm ortal Fe b ruary

That M us ic is only love looking for wo rd s
‘
,
’
.

94
 HI GH SI E R R A

The grass th e y cro p ped c onve rting into s peed

Mad e green the c on cert of their hooves
O ve r th e long sere ne S i e rras turning
In th e axl e o f th e sun s eye
’

To legs as d e lica te as spid e rs picking o ut

’

Pa thways for shadows mou nted o n th e m &

E nigma Fo s fo ro s and Indigo which rumbled
, , ,

Through the p urs uing quarri e s like a wind

To where the pa ths fall and we all o f us
,

GO down with t he sun S ie rra b y sierra h e ld

, ,

A m o ment rising in the stirrups th e n abandoned ,

To wh e re th e black valleys from th e ir sh o es

Subtract S parks upon Hints and the lo ng
,

Quive ring s wish Of tails o n flesh

‘ ‘ ‘
to say sle e p try to say fo o d and h o me
’

,
’ ’
.

95
 T H E HIV E O F I NN O C E N C E

SAPPH O

Shut u p fr o m pl easure in a h o ly fountain ,

A nym p h l ies h e aring the w o oll e n water

, ,

S o ftly on the c o ne o f the ear uncurlin g .

CH O R U S
A water nymph idle as innocence professed
-
, ,

Woven in th e b u rn o f the hairy hive .

SAPPH O

Sh e lo ngs S he l o n g s but no o n e Calls t o her

, ,
.

In lapidary totals go the water w o ken syllables- .

She is t o love a stran ger demo b ili zed by pl easure

,
.

C H O RUS
A water nym ph idle as innocen
-
,
ce p ro fessed ,

Wo ven in the hum o f the hairy hive .

S AP PH O

Who will come on e to hush the water

, ,

Tw o to crush the sto n e thre e to cheris h h e r

, ,

Fo ur to fold and five to usher h e r

,

Bl ushin g into the world &

CH O R U S
A water nymph washed in the c o mm o tion
-
,

Of a st o n y fo untain flo o r O speak to her

-
, ,

9 6
 M I D NI GH T D IA L O G U E

S A PP H O

Beyo nd the ca pes and h e adlands o f the wish ,

Beyond th e menhirs o f d e sire premeditate d ,

Mo st awkward and timid with those who m o st require

O ne su b tl e and beautiful and quite at e as e ,

We m o ve and fo under o n tid e s o f ill usi o n ,

Fum b ling outsid e imm o rtality s immobil e do o rs

’
.

P H AO N
Lucky th e founders o f th e burie d city ,

Trans p are nt th e ir acts th e ir wishes and laws

, ,

Undivid e d as we have be en divid e d .

S AP PH O
E ntangled in e ver more me anin g less wars
&

Too simpl e too compl e x too d e ep too many sided

, , ,
-
,

We join o ur b o nes t o th e irs in the sea s se pulchres

’

To l itter the bitte r ocean s fluctuating floors

’
.

P H AO N
Pointless Obj e ctless without the grace t o stam p
, ,

O n history more than the imp re ss o f a typical err o r ,

Like a hare lip o r a blue e ye handed o n and on

-
,
.

S A PP H O
Down the lon g slipways o f p e rpetual terr o r ,

Move d b e twe e n indol e nce ind ulge nc e and unknowin g

, ,

Th e purpos e l e ss c omin g and the purpo seless go in g &

Snapped in the mana c les o f re vivin g err o r .

9 8
 S APPH O d
an P HA O N
D am ned in e ffe c t and s till negl e c tin g ca us e
,

Soft bri e f and awkward as the kisses whi c h c o mbine

To inters e ct with d ea th till time foll o ws us time
,

Finds and detains us h e re in tim e ,

In this ete rnal pause

,

Fumb ling o utsid e imm o rtali ty s imm obile doors

’
.
 E THI O PIA

S O L O V O I CE

O fishermen far b e yond the waters

, ,

We h e ar o f y o u l i v i ng i n thos e place s .

CH O R U S
Beyond sto n e urns and statues wooden faces ’

E thiop ia in E t h io p ia
,
.

S O L O V O I CE

Templ e s and image s t o Gods

Unknown b y me n as yet una pp re h e nded
,
.

CH O R U S
Vo yag e s b e gun b e gun but never ended
,

E thio p ia in E thio p ia
,
.

S O L O V O I CE

C lo uds ,
is l ands and b ere aved wo men
,

Remember y o u wherever the ax e flashes .

CH O R U S
In th e fallin g o f a million eyelashes ,

E thiopia the many in the o ne

, ,

Whil e the mid ges dance o n the rivers

I n the e ye of th e sun in th e eye of the
,
s un .

[f S app ho p y]
l
’
rom ,
a a

I OO
 C A VA FY

I like to see so much the o ld man s loves ’

Egre gious if you like and ofte n shabby

Protrudin g from the ass s skin of vers e’

For b e tter o r for worse ,

The bon e s o f p o e ms c ultured by a thirst

D ilapidate d tave rns dark e ye s washed
,

Now in the wry and loving brillianc e

O f su c h barbaric memori e s
AS held th e m when the dye s Of passion ran .

No ca nt abo ut th e sottishness o f man &

Th e forest o f dark e ye s h e mus e d upon ,

O ut o f ikons waking besid e his own

,

I n stu ffy bro thels o n stained mattresses ,

Watched by the me l ting vision o f th e fl e sh ,

E ro s the tutor of o ur callowness

De p loyed like ants across his age ing fle s h
Th e crises o f gre at art th e rid e rs
,

O f love th e ir bloody lariats whistling

, ,

Th e c rie s locke d in th e quicke ne d b re ath ,

Th e love feast of a sort of l o ve in d e a th

- - -
.

And here I find him gre at Ne ve r .

To atte mpt a maste rp ie ce of S ize

Yo u m ust l e av e l ife for that No .

But always t o pre s e rv e th e ad v entive

Minute neve r to d e stroy th e truth
,

Admit the c oars e manip ulatio ns of the lie .

I f only the br own fing e rs fra nki ng his love

Could once b e fixe d in art t he immor tal ,

—
Episode be re c o rd e d there h e would awake
10 2
O n a fine day to sh e d his acts like scabs ,

The tres p asses o n life and living slake

I n th e taste no t o f his d e ath but of his dying

,

And like the rest o f us he di e d still tryin g .

 L A R O CH E F O U C A UL D

‘
No us i
a rr v ons to ut no uvea ux a ux d ivers tiges
d e la
’
v e i

‘
A penny fo r your thoughts I wasn t joki ng .
’
.
’

M o st o f it I l e arn e d from s e rving girls -

,

L oo kin g into eye s mindless as birds taking ,

The p ure for su bject o r the unaware .

When em p ty mouths s o s oo n b e tray th e ir fe ar

Kisses can b e p r o b e s M ine always were
. .

Yes everywh e re I sorte d th e betraying

,

Mo tive p oint by point designed

,

This first dete ctive story o f the heart

-
,

Jud ge jury victim all were in my as pe c t

, , , ,

Pinned o nthe cl e ar notation o f the mind

I p rimed them like an actor in a part .

I was —
my o wn motive I s ee you smil e

The o ne part of me I never used o r wrote ,

E very c o mma p aused there hungry ,

To con fe ss me to reveal the famished note

,
.

Yet in reason I mastered ap pe tite ,

And tau ght myse lf at last the tragic s e ns e;

Then through a p petite and its many ambush e s
I uncovered th e p oli tic s Of fee lin g dens e ,

Groves fo r the flo c ks o f s in to feed in .

Yet in the end the p ortrait always seemed

Someh ow faked o r s o mehow still in ne e d
,

O f gender form and p res e nt tense

,
.

10 4
 FA B R E

Th e ants that pass e d

O ve r the back o f his hand ,

The cries of welcome the tribes the tribes &

, ,

Hap p ier men would hav e studied

Childre n mo re baffling t han pupa e
, ,

Th e ir conversation wh e n alone their voices

, ,

Th e dream at the tea table o r at geogra p hy

-

Th e s e nse of intimacy wh en moving in lin e s

Like caterp illars entering a cathedral .

He refus e d t o exam i ne the world except

Thro ugh the stoute st glasses;
A finger o f ground covered with pioneers .

A continent o n a bay leaf moving

- .

If real women were like m o ths h e didn t no tice ’

.

There was not a looking glass in the wh o l e hous e

- .

Ah &but o ne day he might dre ss

In this black discarded business suit ,

Fly heavily o ut o n t o th e lawn at Arles .

What friendshi p s lay among the flowe rs &

I f he could be a commuter am ong the be e s ,

This pollen hunter o f the exact o bservati o n &

-

IO 6
 P O G GI O

Th e rubb e r p e nis th e wig the fals e bre asts

, ,

Th e tal ent for e nte rin g rooms backwards

Up on a roar of laughter with his dumb ,

Pa ined expression wh ee lin g th e re before him

,

That mythologi c al great hi p po s bum ’

‘
Who sh o uld it b e but P o gg i o The white face & ’

C o mical flat and hairless as a chee s e

, ,
.

Nose like a m e mber& somethin g worn

A Tuscan fi g a leath e r can o r else
, , ,

A p hallus made o f p utty and sla pp ed o n .

H ow shou l d y o u kn o w that b ehind

All this the o ld bu ffo on co ncealed a fear
—
And reasonab le e n o u gh that he might b e
&
An artist after all Always afte r this kind
O f side splitting evenin g sittin g there
-
,

O n a three le gged stoo l and wr i tin g he

-
,

Ho ped p o e ms mi ght form upon the pa p er .

But no D irty stori e s The actress and th e b ish op

. . .

The ape and the eunuch This crapula clun g .

To him for many years b e tween his dinn e rs

He swe ate d at them like a ham unhung .

And like the rest of us hoped fo r

The transfi gured sto ry o r the mantic line
O f po e try free fro m t his mortuary smell .

—
Fo r years sl e pt badly who does not &

Took brib e s and drugs ate far too much and dreamed
, ,
.

Marri e d unwis e ly y es but di e d quite well

, ,
.

10 7
CONON T H E C RI T I C O N TH E S I X L A ND S CAP

P AI NT E R S O F G REE C E

O N PETER O F T H EB E S
‘
This l andsca p e is no t ori g i nal in its own mod e First smell .

—
were b orn O f re sin and pine Then som e on e got drunk
.

arb utus b erries Finally as an exp lanatory text some one

.

this red staunch clay and roots You c annot smell o n e witho u
.

—
tastin g the Oth e r as with fi sh and red sauce .
’

O N MAN O L I O F CRETE
‘
After a l i fetim e Of writin g acro stics h e t oo k up a brush an
everythin g b ecame twice as atte ntiv e Tre e s had b e en tre e s .

fore D istinctions had been in id e as Now the Old man wen

. .

mad fo r everythin g undre ss e d and ran laughin g into his arms

,
.

ON &
U L I AN OF A R CAD I A
Arcadia is o ri g ina l in a p articular s e nse There is n o feelin g
‘
.

o f Therefore in it O rigin reas o n meanin g it has none in the

“ &
.
, ,

sense o f rec ognizable p ast In this b o th Arc adia and all good
.
,

p oems are original .

’

O N S P I R I D O N O F E P I RU S
‘
Yo u lo o k at this l andsca p e for fiv e years Yo u s ee l ittle b ut .

s o m e thin g attentive watchin g y o u Another five and y o u remark

.

a S ha pe that is b arely a s hape; a S hadow like th e m o on s p enumb ra ’

.

L ook a li fetime and y o u wil l se e that the mountains li e like th e

covers o f a b ed ; and you discern th e form lying under th e m .
’

O N HERO OF CO R I N T H
‘
Style is the cut o f th e mind H e ro was no t much intereste d
.

in his landsca p e but by a p erpetual s e lf confe ssion in art re move d

,
-

I O8
TW O P O E M S I N B AS I C E N G LIS H

SH I PS . I S L AN D S . T R EE S

Th e se shi p s th e se islands these simpl e trees

, ,

Are our rewards in substance b ein g poor ,

.

This earth a dicti o nary is

To the root and growth o f se e in g ,

And t o th e servant heart a door .

Som e o n the green surface o f the land

With al l their canvas up in leaf and fl o wer ,

And some empty o f influence

B ut from th e water winds-
,

Fre e as love s g reen attracti ons are

’
.

Smo ke bitter and b lue fro m farms .

And p oints o f feeble li ght in h o uses

Come after them in the scale
O f the material and the b eautifu l;
Are not l e ss com p lex but l ess delicate
And less imp ortant than these living
Instruments o f s p ace ,

Who se quiet c o mmunicati o n is

With o lder trees in ships on the grey waves
An o rder and a music
Lik e a writin g o n the ski e s
TO O p rivate for the reas o n o r the p en;
To o Si mp le eve n for the heart s surp rise
’
.

I IO
 II

NE A R E L A L AME I N

This rough fie ld o f s udden war

This sand goin g down to the sea g oin g d o wn
, ,

Was made without th e a p proval o f love ,

By a ge neral death in the d e sire for livin g .

Tim e got the range o f impulse here &

O n old ho us e s with no thou ght o f armies ,

B urnt guns maps and firing &

,

All the a p paratus o f man s behaviour

’

Put by in memories for bo oks o n histo ry

A growth like these bitter
Green b ulbs in th e holl o w sand here .

But ideas and lan guage d o no t go .

The rate o f the simpl e things

M en walkin g here thinking o f houses
, ,

Gard ens or gre e n mountains or beliefs

,

Units o f the dead in th e s e livin g armies ,

Making com p arison of this b itter heat ,

And the livin g sea giving u p its bo dies

, ,

Leve l and dirty in th e mist ,

Heavy wi th s p onges and the c o mm o n err o r .

III
 IN E U R O P E

R EC I T A T I V E F OR A R A D I O PL A Y

Three Vo ices t o the a cco m

p an im ent f
o a d rum d
an

bells , a nd thefizint grunt a nd thud f

o a d ancing bea r .

The frontiers at last I am feelin g so tired

,
.

We are gettin g the refugee habit ,

W O MAN
Mo vin g fr o m is l and to i sland ,

Where the b oundaries are clouds

Wh ere the fro ntiers o f the land are water .

OL D M AN

We are gettin g the refu gee hab it ,

W O M AN
We are only an o nymous feet m o v i n g ,

With o ut fri ends any more with o ut b o oks,

O r c o m p anionshi p any m o re We are ge ttin g.

MAN

The refugee ha b it There s no end

.
’

To the forest and no end t o th e m oo rs

B e t ween the just and th e unjust
There is l ittle distinction .

O L D M AN
Bo dies like h o uses without wind o ws and d oo rs
,

I I 2
 MAN
Through Prussia into Russia ,

Through H o lland to Poland ,

Through Ru m ania into Albania .

W O MAN
Following th e rotation Of th e s easons .

OL D M AN

We are g e tting th e refug ee habit

The past and th e fu ture are not e no ugh ,

Are two walls only b e t wee n which to die

Who can live in a h o use wi th two walls &

The p res ent is an e ternal jo urne y;

In o ne c o untry winte r in another spring
,
.

OL D M AN
I am sick o f the general deaths
We have se e n th e m imp e rsonally dying
Eve rythin g I had hop e d for fire sid e and h e arth
, ,

And d e ath by compromise some summer eve ning .

Yo u are gettin g the refu ge e habit

You are carryin g the p ast in y o u
Like a precious v e ss e l re m e mbering
,

Its essence ownership and ordinary l o vin g

,
.

W OMAN
We are to o yo un g to remember .

I I 4
 OLD MAN
No thin g disturb ed such life as I rememb e r
But te l e phon e o r te l e gram ,

S uch d e ath brin gers to th e man among th e ro s e s

-

In the garden of his hous e smoking a pi p e ,

.

‘
WO MAN
We are th e dis p ossessed sharin g ,

With gulls and flowers our lives of accident

NO time for love no ro o m for l ove &
,

If o nly the children

MAN

Were l e ss wild and unk ep t b e lon ge d ,

T o th e human family not s pee chl e ss

, ,

OLD M AN

And s hy as th e squirre ls in th e trees

W O MA N

If only the chi l dren

O LD MAN
Recognized th e ir fath e r smiled once m o re
,
.

OL D M AN W O MAN

They have go t the re fu ge e habit ,

Walking a b out in the rain for fo o d ,

Loo king at th e ir faces in the b o tt o m o f wells

1 1 5
 O L D MAN
They are livin g th e p o pular life .

All E urop e is moving o ut of Winter

Into Spring wi th all boundaries b e in g
B rok e n down di s solvi ng vanishi ng
, ,
.

Migrations are b e ginning a n ew habit ,

From wh e re the icebergs rise in th e s ky

To valleys wh e re corn is s p re ad like butter

WO MA N
So many men an d wom en & each o ne a soul .

S o many souls cro ssing t he wo rld ,

O LD MAN
S o many bridges to the end o f the wo rld .

Fr o ntiers mean nothin g any m ore

WO MAN
Peo p les and po ssessi o ns ,

Lands ri ghts
, ,

Titl es h ol din gs
, ,

Trusts Bo nds
,
.

O L D MAN
Mean nothing any mo re n o thin g ,
.

A whistle , a b o x a shawl a cu p ,
, ,

A b ro ken swo rd wrapped in news p ap er .

WO M A N
‘

All we have l eft us o ut ,

o f c o ntex t,
I I 6
 L E TT E R T O S E F E RI S TH E G REE K

‘
Ego d o rm io d vi il
’
se co r m eum g at

No mil e stones marked th e invaders ,

But ragged harps lik e moun tains h ere

A text fo r Pros e rpine in te ars & worlds
With no d o ors for hero e s and no walls with ears
Yet snow the anniversary o f death
,
.

Ho w did th e y ge t here H o w e nact &

This clear s e ve re rep e ntanc e on a rock ,

Where only d e ath c o nverts and the hills

Into a past o ral sil en c e by a lake ,

By the b lu e Fact o f th e sky fore ver &

‘
Enter the dark crystal if y o u dare
And gaz e on Gre e c e Th e y cam e
.
’

Smiling like long refl e ctions of th e ms e lves

,

Upon a sky o f fancy Th e re d sho e s

.

Waited among th e thi cke ts and the s p rings ,

In fi e lds o f un explod e d asphod e ls ,

Ne ither p ati e nt no r impa ti e n t m e rely ,

Waite d the born hu nte r on his ground

, ,

Th e magnificent and funny Gre ek .

We will neve r re cord it & th e black

Choirs o f wate r flowing on moss ,

Th e b lack s un s kisses Openi ng

’

Upon th e ir blind ne ss like two eyes

,

E normous open in b e d against on e s

,
’
o wn .

1 1 8
Somethin g san g in the fi rm ament .

The p ast my fri e nd compell e d y o u

, ,

Th e charg e o f habit and love .

Th e olive in th e blood awo ke ,

Th e ston e s of Ath e ns in th e ir pride

Will re me mb er regre t and Ofte n b less
,
.

Kiss e s in letter from home &

Crosses in the snow& n ow sure ly
Lover and lo ved exist again
By a stran ge communion o f darkn e ss .

Those who went in all innoce n c e ,

Whom the wh ee l disfigure d & whom

Chari ty will no t revisit or re pair ,

The innoce nt who fell like a pp l e s .

Consid e r ho w lo ve betrays us
In th e c o nversation o f th e p rophets
Wh o dai l y re p aire d th e world
By p ro fit and loss with no text
,

O n th e unkn o wn quantity
By whose possession all p roblems
Are o nly ink and air made words &
I mean friends everywhere wh o smile
And reach o ut th e ir hands .

An ger inh e rits wh e re love

B e trays & iron o nly can cl ean
And prais e s only c rucify th e love d
In th e ir matchless e rrand d e ath
,
.

Re me mber the earth will ro ll

Down h e r Old g ro ove s and spring
Utte r swallows agai n utt e r swallows
,
.

I 1 9
O th e rs will inh e rit th e sea shell
-
,

Murmuring to th e foolish its om ens ,

Uncurving on th e d rum of th e e ar ,

The vowe ls of an oce an b e yo nd us ,

Th e history th e inventio ns of the s ea

,

Upon all p arall e ls of th e sal t wave ,

To lovers lyin g lik e s culpture s

In islands of smoke and marbl e ,

Will e nter th e re fl e ctions of p oe ts

By th e gree n wav e th e c h e mical wate r
,
.

I have n o fe ar for the land

O f th e dark h e ads with aime d nos e s ,

The hair of night and th e voi c e s

Whi c h mimic a traditional laughte r
Nor for a new lang uag e wh e re
A mole upon a dark th roat
‘
O f a girl is call e d an olive ’

All th e s e things are simply Gree c e .

H e r bl ue boundari e s are
Upon a curving s ky of tim e ,

In a dark m e nstruum of wat e r

The name s o f islands lik e doors
O p e n upon it & th e rot ting walls
O f th e E urop e an myth ar e h e re
For us the ind ustrio us singers
, ,

In th e servic e of this blu e this e normo us

,

Soon it will be S pring O ut of

.

This h ug e magazin e of flowe rs t he e arth , ,

We will e nc han t th e ho us e with ros e s ,

120
Yo ur l e tter o f th e 4 th was no surp rise .

&
S O Tonio had go ne H e will have n e ed o f us .

Th e sails are go ing o ut over the old world .

O ur happine ss h e re o n a prom o ntory

, ,

Mark e d by a star is small b ut perfe ct

,
.

Th e c alculatio ns of th e astro nomers th e le gends

,

The past beli e ve d in could not hap pen here .

Nothing remains but Joy the infant &

,
o
y
(So qui e t th e mountain in i ts shield o f sn o w ,

S O unconcern e d th e faces o f the birds ) ,

With the uns uspected world somewhere awake ,

B o rn o f this darkness o ur imp erfect Sight

, ,

The s tirrin g seed of No strad amus rose

’
.

[ 22
 D APHNIS AN D CH L O E

This boy is th e good sh e ph e rd .

H e pa c e s the impa rtial horizon s ,

Fo rty days in the land of tombs ,

Wate rl e ss wild e rne ss se e ki ng waterhol e s

,

Knows the so und of the gold e n e agl e knows ,

Th e alge braic flute blu e und e r J upite r

Supin e in myrtle lamb be twee n his kne es
, ,

Has be e n a musical lion upon the midnight .

This was the g ood shepherd Daphnis , ,

Tim e s ante room b y the Ae g e an to oth

’
-
,

Curled lik e an umb e r snak e above the spray ,

Mumbling arbutus among the chalk sna gs -

,

Th e Gre cian m o lars whe re th e g re e n s ea spins ,

Su ffered a p astoral decay .

This girl was the milk and th e honey .

Under the e aves the dark fi g s ripen ,

The l e aves nine medicines a c limb ing wine ,

.

Under th e tongue th e b e e sting -

,

Under th e breast th e add e r at the lung ,

Like feathered child at wing .

Life s honey is distilled simpli c ity

’

The icy crystal pendant from the rock ,

The turtl e s scorching ambush fo r th e egg

’

The c yp ress and the ci c ada ,

And win e dark blu e and c urious th en

-
, , , ,

The metaphoric sea .

1 2 3
 S U M ME R

Th e l ittl e g old ci gale

I s summer s s e co nd go d the l o vers kn o w it
’

, ,

His parc hed reverberatin g v o ice

D eepens the go ld thirst o f the n oo ns
And foll o ws the b lack sun s long
’

Fig ri pe ni ng and vine mellowing fall

- -

So l e isurely from heaven s g o lden car

’

D ay by successive day to end it all

And where the Latin heat h as stretched

The skin o f val leys will his voice
Ru bb in g and scra p in g at the lo ver s ear
’

O racl es o f p ast suns recall ,

Pro di gals o f leisure and bro wn Skins ,

Wine m i xed with kisses and the o ld

D reamless summer sl eeps they once enj o yed
In Adam s Eden l on g b efo re the Fall
’
.

1 2 6
 IN C R IS I S

My love o n We dne sday l e ttin g fall her b ody

Fr o m u p right walking wo n by wearin e ss ,

As o n a b ed o f fl e sh b y ounces c o unted o ut ,

S o fter than snu ff o r sn o w came where my body was .

SO in th e aboriginal waterways of the mind ,

NO word b e in g spoke n by a familiar girl ,

O n e may have a c l ear appreh e nsi o n o f gh o stly matters ,

Audib l e as p erha p s in the sea S h e ll s h e lix

,
-
’
.

The Gulf Stream can rub s o ft music fro m a p e b ble

‘
Like quiet reh e arsal o f the words Kneel down ’

And cool on the inner corridors of th e e ar

Can blow o n memory and cons c ien c e like a s in .

The inner man is surely a native o f G o d

And his wife a b rilliant novice o f nature .

The wo man wa l ks in the dark like a lantern swun g ,

A white spark b lown be t ween p oints o f p ain .

We d o n o t speak emb racing with the bl oo d

, ,

The to llin g heart markin g its measures in darkness

Like the scratch o f a match o r the fi re sto ne -

Struck to a s p ark in th e dark by a colder o ne .

So lying cl o se the enchanted b o y may hear

, ,

Soon from Tokio the crass drum sounding ,

Fr o m the hero s hearth th e merry cr o tch e t o f war

’
.

Flame shall swallow the lady .

1 27
Tall men shall c o me to c oo l th e royal b ush,

O ver the gre y waters the bu gler s octaves

’

Pu b lish al o ud a n e w re surre cti on o f terror

.

Many w il l give suck at th e bomb s col d ni pp le

’
.

128
I have tasted my quantum o f misfortune .

In the des e rt th e cities o f ash and fe athers

, ,

In front o f Others I have spoke n the v owel ,

Knelt to the curly wool th e uncut h o rns;

,

Have carri e d my tribulation in a basket o f wattle,

S o litary in my pe nitence as the o wl .

V
I have set my wife s lip under the bandage
’

0 p ound the r o ses bind th e e ye o f the s o ul

, ,

Recite th e charmo f th e d e e p and heal so o n ,

Fo r the mountains accus e and the sky s walls

,
’
.

Let the bo ok of sickness be p ut in the emb ers .

I have tasted quantum

1 3 0
 A DAM

I have ni bbled the mystica l fruit C o ver me . .

Lest the p ro p hetic fish foll o w and s wa llow me .

I dare n o t tread am o n g the lilies

Thou gh l amb swo ol c o ver my foo tfal l ,

Th o u gh the add e r call the Word walk

, ,

In the o rchard v oi ces fo l lo w hands hall ow me

,
.

Thy wi ll b e d o ne as it was in E d en .

—
We were a lo n g time I am a fraid
Naked am o n g si lver fish and shad ows ,

A lo n g time and in silence naked O n l y .

The fo untains fallin g the h o rnet s drum

,
’

C allin g sunny and drunk with dew

, .

I am Adam o f sin gular manufacture

, ,

A littl e clay water and p r op hetic breath ;

, ,

O n the waters of chao s a l amp o f red cl ay .

The Wo rd owns me I have n o armam e nt

.

O n l y my fear o f the wa l kin g Thin g .

The ri b follows me everywhere & and everywhere

A shad o w follows th e rib Eve .
,

1 am afraid The Host walks and talks

.

In the b ao b ab shade & the unknowable Thin g

Is cro ssin g the p aths & the breath woman , ,

Is on us & a white light& O c o ver me

From the unthinkable raz or o f th o u ght
Wh o se whis p er han gs o ver me .

1 3 1
E ve ,
are in this thin g to the very end
we ,

Yo u yo ur shadow and shadowless Adam I

, , ,
.

O rib and mors e l Of anguish bone of conte ntion

, ,

Afte r it e nters the t e rribl e wood ,

We will w in thro ugh p e rhaps & cove r us de e p

,

Beyond cl ue with the l eave s o f the wood &

B e S i le nt until it passes & and kiss m e k iss
,

Ah &b ut th e apple the a p ple

,

1
3 2
 C I T IE S PLA I NS AN D P E O P L E
,

O nc e in idl e n e ss w as my beginnin g ,

Night was to th e mortal b o y

Innoce nt o f surfa c e like a new mind
Upon whose e d ges on c e h e walk e d
In idlen e ss in perfe ct idl e ness
,
.

O wo rld of little mirrors in th e light .

The sun s rough Wi c k fo r e verybody s day

’ ’

Saw th e Himalayas like lambs th e re

Stir th e ir hug e joi nts and lay
Agains t his inno c e nt thigh a stony thigh .

C o mb s of wind d rew through this grass

To b ushes and p ure lak e s
O n t his tastel e ss wind
We nt leopard s fe ath e rs fel l o r fl ew
,

Yet all we nt no rth wi t h t he p raye r wh ee l

-
,

By the road th e quotation of nightingal es

,
.

Quick o f sym p athy wi th spri ngs

Wh e re th e stone gush e d wate r
Wo men made their water like thieves .

Caravans paused h e re to drink Tibet .

O n dra ughty c orrid o rs to Lhasa

Was my first school
I n faces lifted from saddl e s to th e snows
Words caught by th e soft klaxons crying
D own to the plains and s e t tled ci ti e s .

1 34
S o o nc e in idleness was my be ginnin g .

Little kn own o f be tter then o r worse

B ut in th e le ns o f this gre at p atience
Sex was small ,

De ath was smal l ,

Were qualities hel d in a death less essence ,

Yet subj e cts o f the wh e el burned cl ear

,

And imm o rta l t o my seventh year .

To al l wh o turn and start descendin g

Thel o n g sad river o f their g rowth &
The tid eb o und te p id causeless
, ,

C o ntinuum o f terrors in the spirit ,

I g ive yo u here un endin g

In idleness an inn o cent b e g innin g

Unti l yo ur pain b ec o me a literature .

11

Nine marches to Lhasa .

Those wh o went forward

Into this honeycomb o f si lence Often
Gained the wh o le wo rld & b ut o fte n lost each
In the com p lexi o n o f this country tears
Fo und n o harbour in the b reast o f r o ck .

D eath marched beside the livin g as a friend

With no sad punctuati on by the clo ck .

I 35
But h e for whom s t ee l and runnin g water
We re roads we nt we stward o nly
,

To th e prudish cli ffs and th e s ad gre e n h o me

O f P uddi ng Island o e r th e Vict o rian foam
’
.

H e re all as p oets were p ariahs .

So m e sharpe ne d littl e folli e s into hooks

To pick upon the lan gua g e and survive .

Som e in s e arch c ould only found

Pul p its of smok e lik e Blak e s &erus a lem ’
.

For this pe rson it was n e ver landfall ,

Wi th s o many re pre s e ntative yo un g men

And all th e O ld b e ing o bvio us in fee ling ,

B ut like good crafty m e n

He saw the business witch e s in th e ir bowlers ,

Th e b lacken e d Sams o ns o f the gree n estate ,

Th e earls from their cockn e y boxes calling -

,

And kn e w b e fore it was t o o late London ,

Could only be a p romis e givin g kin gdom - .

Yet here was a window

I nto the great si c k room Europe
-
, ,

With its dull s et books

-
,

Th e Carte sian imp e ratives D ante and H o m e r

, ,

To impre ss the lam e and awkward newcomer .

H e re he saw B e d e who s o ft ly
Bl ew o ut d e sire and went to b ed ,

S o much greate r than s o many less

Who made th e ir unconqu e red guilt in atro p hy
A pass p ort to th e d e ad .

1 3 6
SO h e re at last we did o utgrow o urs e lve s .

AS th e green S talk is tak e n fro m the e a rth ,

With a gre at j ui c y s o b I tu rne d him from a Man

,

To Mandrak e i n Whos e awful hand I am

,
.

1 11

Prosper o u po n his island

Cast in a r o mantic form ,

When his lo ve was fully gro wn

H e laid his magi c down .

Truth within th e tribal wells ,

Innocent invitin g creature

D o e s no t rise to human sp e lls
But by paradox

Teach e s all who seek fo r her

That no saint or seer unlocks
The wells o f truth unle ss h e fi rst
C onquer fo r the truth his thirst .

IV

SOo ne fine year to where the ro ads

Dividin g E urop e meet in Paris .

The gn o me was here and th e small

Unacted tem p tations Tessa was h e re wh o se
.

Quickened hair had b rush e d back rivers ,

Trembling with stars by Buda ,

I 3 8
In wh o se i nco nstant arms h e wa ite d
Fo r black hearted D escarte s to se e k him o ut
-

With all his s te ril e ap paratus .

Now man for him b e came a thinkin g lob e ,

Through endl e ss p ermu ta tions sought repo se .

By frigid latinisms h e ma te d now

To th e hard fram e of p ros e the c o gent ve rb .

To many l uck may give for merit

Mo re p ro fitabl e tea c hers To the h eart
.

A criti c and a nymph &

And an unflinc hing d o ctor to the spirit .

All these he confined in metaphors ,

Sh e sl e ep ing in his awkward mind

Taught of th e pac e o f wome n o r birds
Th ro ugh the l eafy body o f man
End urin g like the mammoth like s pee c h
,

From the dry c licking of the gre ater a pes

To th e se ho t moments in a refe rence o f stars
Beauty and d e ath ho w sex b e came
,

A l ess er sort o f spe ec h and th e me mb e rs doors

,
.

Faces may settle sadly

E ach into its private death
By business trave l o r fortune ,

Like the fat congealing o n a plate

O r th e fogged ne gative o f labour
Wh o se dumb fastidi o us rectitude
Brings death in living as a s o rt o f mate .

I 39
H e re howe ve r man might botc h his way
To God via Val ery Gid e or Rab e lais
, .

All rul e s ob tain upon th e pilo t s plan ’

S O lo ng as m an not manne rs maky th man

, , .

Som e lik e the g re a t Vic to rians of th e past

Thro ugh O ld Moll Fland e rs sail e d b e fore the mast ,

Whil e s av ag e Chatte rl e ys Of th e new romance

G e t carri e d O ff in S e x th e a m b ulan c e
, .

All rul e s Ob tain upon the p ilo t s char t

’

I f gove rn e d by the s c rip tu re of th e h e art .

VI

Now Nove mb e r v isi ting wi th rai n

S urp ris e s and humbl e s wi th its taste of e ls ewhere ,
'

Li cks i n th e draughty gall e ri es th e re ,

Like a c o untry m e mb e r quick e n e d by a province ,

Turning o ve r book s and l e av e s in ha s te ,

Take s at last h e r slow stains of waste

Down th e ston e stairs into th e r i vers .

And in t he pe rsonal h e art weary ,

O f t he pierc ing innoce nts in parks

Wh o sail th e rapt s ubconscio us th e re lik e swans ,

D is turb s and brighte ns with h e r te ars thinking & ,

‘
P e rhaps afte r all it is we who are blind ,

Whil e th e uncons cious e ate rs O f the appl e

Are whol e as ingots o f a proc e ss
Pun c h e d in matter by the promiscu o us M ind .
’

1 4 0
Taken in the p attern o f all solitari e s ,

An only child o f intros pe c tion go t

, ,

H e r only p laymate s love rs in h e rsel f

, ,
.

Nets were to o coarse to hold her

Wh e re t he nymp h broke through
And only th e encirc ling arms of p l e asure held .

H e re fo r the five l e an do g s o f s ens e

Gre ece move d in c alm memorial
Thro ugh her o wn unru ffled blue ,

B e arin g in rivers upsid e d own

The myrtle and th e olive in ruins ,

Th e faces o f th e innoce nts in Wells .

Salt and garlic wate r and dry b read

, ,

Gree k b re ad from th e comb t h e y kn e w

Like an e l e me nt in sculp ture
By th e se re d aerial ch e rries ,

O r flawed grape s p ainte d g ree n

But p o uted into bre asts &as we ll
B y th o s e great quarri e s o f th e blood
Th e b e atin g crimson h e arts of th e grenades
All far beyond th e cu p i d i ty of ve rse s
O r the l e chery o f image s to te ll .

Here worlds were confirmed in him .

Di ffe re nc e s that ma tc h e d like cloth

B e twee n the darkne ss and th e inn e r ligh t ,

Move d on th e u ndivid e d breath o f blu e .

Form e d movi ng tree s a s s e r te d h e re

,

Nothi ng b ut S impl e c omparisons to

Th e artis t s e nd e a ri ng e ye
’
.

1 4 2
Sleep Nap kins folded after grace
. .

Veins of stealing wa ter

By th e un p l umb e d ruins n e ve r finding peace ,
.

A wate rshed a vall e y o f tombs

, ,

Neve r finding peace .

‘ ‘
L o ok S he mi g ht s ay Press here
’

With yo ur finge rs at th e templ e s .

Are they not the blunt uncut horns

O f the small naked Io nian fauns & ’

Much late r m o vin g in a dark

, ,

Snow lit landscape s o ftly

-

In her small frock walke d his daughter

And a simile came int o his mind
O f love rs like swimmers lost at s e a
, ,

Exhauste d in each other s arms ’

Urgent for land but treadin g water

,
.

Re d P o lish m o uth ,

Lips that as fo r the flute unform ,

Gone round o n nouns o r v o wels ,

To utter the acc ep ting calm ,

‘
Ye s ,o r make terri b le verb s
’

‘
Like I adore adore ,
’
.

Pers uader s o long hunted

,

B y your wild pack o f s e lves ,

Past peace Of mind or e ven slee p ,

I 43
So longed fo r and S O sou ght ,

May the d ivid e r always keep

Like u nsh e d tears in la s h e s
Love the und e clared though t
,
.

Now e art h tu rns her c old s ho uld e rs to us ,

Autumn wi t h h e r wild pa c ks
Comes down to th e robb ing of th e flowers .

O n this u nstai ne d s ky printl e ss

,

S now mo v e s c risp as dre amers fi ngers ’

And th e ra te o f pas sio n or te nderness

In this isla nd hous e 1 8 absol ut e .

With in a tim e of re adi ng

Here is all my grow th
Through the bodi e s of other s e lve s ,

In books by p romis e or pe rve rs ity

,

—
My mutino us c re w of furi e s th e ir pl eadi ng
Th rew up at last the nake d spri te
Whos e fl e sh and nois e I am ,

Who i s my jailo r and my inward nigh t .

In Europ e bo und by E uro pe

, ,

I s aw th e m moving the poss e ssed

,

Fedor and Anna the las t

,

Two vai n e xplore rs of o ur guilt ,

Turn by turn holding th e taws ,

Mad e addi c ts of each o th e r la cki ng love ,

Fri endl e ss e m bi tte re d and alo ne .

1 44
Art has limits and li fe limits
Wi thin the n e rve s that su p port th e m .

So b e tter with th e hap p y

D is c ove r than wi th th e wis e
Who te a c h th e s ad valou r
O f e nd uran ce thro ugh th e seaso ns ,

In change th e unc hanging

De ath by compromis e .

XII

Now da rkne ss c o m e s t o E urop e

De d ic a te d by a soft une arthly jazz .

Th e gre ate r h e arts c o ntra c t the i r j o ys

By S il e n c e to the ve ry ge m ,

Wh il e the impe rtine nt re forme rs ,

Barbarians with s e c re tari e s move ,

Whom old Cavafy pi c ture d ,

Whom no war c an re mov e .

Thro ugh the amb us c ad e s of s ex ,

Th e folli e s o f th e will th e te ars

, ,

Turning a p e rso nal world I go

,

To wh e re th e ye llow e mp e ror on c e
Sat o ut the s umm e r and th e snow ,

And s e archi ng in him s e lf s truck oil ,

P ublish e d th e first gre a t Tao

Whi c h all c onfe s sion canonly gloz e
And in th e Co ns c io usn e ss can o nly spoil
Appare nt opposition of th e two
Wh e re unlo cke d numb e rs show their fabric ,

1 4 6
H e laid his fin ger to the ma p ,

And where the si gns c o nfuse ,

D efin e d the Many and the None

As b ase reflections o f the O ne .

What b ifi d Hamlet in the maze

Wept to find; the d opp elgiinger
G o eth e saw o ne mornin g g o
O ver the hill ahead; the man
So gnawed by p ro mises who shared
The magnificent res po nses o f Rimbaud .

All that we have s o ug ht in us ,

The artist by his g reater c o wardice

In sudden brush str o kes gave us clues
-

Hamlet and Faust as front p age news -

.

The ye ll o w emperor first c o nfirm e d

B y o ne Unkn o wn the human calculus ,

Where feeling and idea ,

Must fall within this s p ace ,

This pers o nal landscape built

Within the C hinese circle s calm embrace’
.

D ark S p irit sum o f all

,

That has remained unl o ved ,

G o ne crying thro ugh the world

S o urce o f all manufacture and re p air
’

Quicken the givin g sprin g

-

In ferns and b irds and ordinary p e op le

That all deeds d o ne may share ,

B y this o ur tem po ral sun ,

The p art o f living that is l o vin g ,

Your d ancin g a b eautiful b ehaviour

,
.

1 47
Darkn e ss who c o ntai n
,

Th e so urc e of all th is c o rporal music ,

O n the g re a t tabl e o f th e B reath

Our oppos ite s in pi ty b e a r ,

Our m e as ure o f p e rfe c t io n o r of pai n ,

Bo th tre spa s s e rs in you tha t th e n

,

Our He re and N o w b e c om e yo ur E v e ry wh e re .

XIII
Th e Old ye llow E mp e ro r
With d e fe c tive Si ght and matte d hair
His pala c e fe ll t o ruins
But his h e a rt w as in re pa i r .

Ve ins l ik e imp e rfe c t pl umb ing

On his fl e sh d es crib e d a l e a f .

His palms we re mapp e d with cunning

Like g e od e s ie s o f gri e f .

His soul b e c am e a va p o ur
And his l imbs b e cam e a s take
But his a nc ie n t h e a rt s t ill v isits us

In Lawre nc e o r in Blake .

XI V
All c iti e s pla ins and p e opl e
Rea c h upwa rds to the a ffirming
All tha t s ve rti cal and shining
’

Live s we ll live d ,

D ee ds p e rfe c tly don e ,

Rea c h upwa rds to the royal p ure

A ffirming s un .

1 4 8
 XV

Bomb e rs b urs ti ng like pods go down

And th e s ee d of Man S tars
This landscap e anc i ent b ut no lo nge r known
,
.

O nly th e c ri ti c pe rs e ve re s
Wi thin his ant l ike formalis m
-

By d e d uc tion and d e struction s teers ;

O nly the trite re former holds his own .

S ee looking down motionless

Ho w cl e ar Ath e ns o r B re me n s ee m
A ma s s of rotte n v ege tables
Firm o n the diagram of e arth canlie;
And h e re yo u may re fl e ct ho w genus ep ilep tozd
Knows his stu ff; and wh e re riv e rs
Have thrown th e i r s witch e s and enlarge d
Our me rc y or o ur knowl e dg e of e a c h oth e r;
Wo nd e r who walks b e sid e th e m now and why ,

And wha t th e y talk abou t .

Th e re is noth ing to hop e for m y B roth e r

,
.

We h ave trie d hop ing for a future in the pas t .

No thi ng cam e o ut of that p as t

But t he re fl e c te d d is t o rt ion and s ome
E nd uri ng and und e rs ta nd ing and so m e brave
, ,
.

Into th e ir c ool e mb ra c e the awkwa rd and the sinful

Must b e put fo r th e y alon e
Know w ho and wha t t o s ave .

1 50
 XVI

—
Small temp tati o ns no w to slumber and to
Where the lime green Od o urless
-
,

And p athless island waters

Cro ssin g and uncr o ssin g p artnerless
,

B y hills alone and quite incurious

Th e ir pastures of reflection keep
.

Fo r Pros pero remains the eve rgreen

Ce ll by th e margin o f the sea and land
,

Who many cities plains and p eopl e saw

, ,

Ye t by his op e n door
In sunlight fe ll asl e e p
O ne summer with the A pp l e in his hand .
 ‘
A S O L I L O QU Y O F HAML E T ’

( to Anne R id ler)

Here on the curve of the e mbalming Wi n ter ,

Son o f th e three l egged stool and th e Bible

-
,

By the trimmed lam p I co b ble this sonnet

For father s o n and the marble woman
, ,
.

Sire w e have found no p ard o nabl e c ity

,

Though women harder than the kne e ling nuns ,

Softe r than clouds up on the st o nes o f p ain ,

Have breathed th e ir bl essin g s o n a candle end - .

S o m e who c o nverte d the E nglish o ak tree s-

Th e harml e ss druids sin g in g in gree n p laces .

Some who broke th e ir claws u p on islands

The singing fath e rs in th e boats of glory .

Som e who made an atlas o f their hun ger&

The en c hanted skulls lie under the lion s p aw ’
.

O ne innocent observe r in a fo rei gn cell

D i e d wh e n my fa th e r lay b e sid e his gh o st .

1 5 2
Th e c harming groans of ladies com e to m e
From the nurs e ry sills of an invente d climate

My o utlawe d mo th e r pati e nt at th e loom ,

B e h ind h e r oaks th e i r nud e ma chin e ry

, , ,

Th e dark one s shini ng on their s nowy tuffets .

I take this imag e on a scre aming nib .

IV

Here in the hollow curvature o f the world ,

Now time turns t hro ugh h e r angles o n a dial ,

The unspeaking surg e on cuts beneath the fur ,

\

And pain fo re ver gree n winds h e r pal e horn .

Make in th e b eautiful harbours o f th e heart ,

Fo r scholars sittin g at th e ir fi re lit p uzzl e s

-
,

The thre e fold climate and the anchorage

-
.

Make in the dormitory o f the self

For slee pl e ss murd e rs comb ing out the blo o d

A bl e ssing and an armisti c e to fe ar .

Though bank e rs pil e d e bentures to th e worm ,

And death like S unday only brings th e owls

,

Tho ugh som e mus t fo und e r trying for th e ro c k ,

Bl e ss mic e and wo m en in t h e ir s e cre t places .

1 54
To y o u in hi gh h e aven the unattainabl e ,

Th e surnamed Virgin I l ift a small scripture

, ,

Brushed b y the quill o f a black boy s madness;

’

P o ur o ne sweet dr op of mercy o n th e mind &

Yo u three bein g h o ly and great li nguists

, ,

The oval sin gers of the Cretan eikon ,

Give to the gh o st yo ur charity s ghostly shirt

’

De fence by pi ty and a green ca p tivity .

Consider & here the thorn crawled in the heart ,

Here traito rs laid an axe u pon the r o ot .

Grant like a bruis e his swe e test homec o ming ,

Find laughin g Hamlet sittin g in a tree ,

The silken duch e ss fro wning at her baubles ,

And swart O phelia cro o nin g at her lauds .

VI

Winte r and l o ve are Euclid s p roperties

’
.

The charm of candles sm o king on a c o ffi n

Like nursery years up o n a birthday cake ,

Te ach like the soft declensions of the term

, ,

1 55
How dust being sifte d fro m th e shee t of nuns ,

Returns bene ath the swoll e n veil once m o re ,

S o wom en bend lik e tree s and utter fi gs ,

And c hildren from th e ir p illows proph e sy .

Th e unnumb e red garris o n still holds the womb .

O s uffe r th e mirag e s of th e daze d ladi e s ,

Give love with all its tri b utary p atience

That when th e cas e of bon e s is broke n Op en ,

Th e h e art can bl e ss or th e sad skin of saints

,

B e b e at e n into drum heads for th e truth

-
.

VII

Walk upon dreams ahd pass b e hind th e book

,
.

Haml e t is nail e d b e twe e n th e t hi e ve s o f love .

Wear th e black waistcoat b oy for d e ath is ki ng

, , ,

His margin is a waxe n candle dip at night-

By day a grace note in the mid o f sil enc e

-
,

The gamb l e r smil ing in his royal sh ee t .

Fo r this I p ut the obol in th e li p s .

Fo r this I wear my sex b eneath a towel .

I take the round S kull o f the nunnery girl

To bl e ss until the tears break in th e brain ;
1 5 6
Pain hangs more bloody than the mystic s taws ’
.

Down corridors of pain I follow p ati en c e ,

Make no te s b e h ind the n e rve ends of the brain

-
.

Lean l e an on the iron e lbow of th e armoure d man

, ,

Button th e nippl e s on his c oat of m e rcy ,

The widow walki ng in a rubber mask &

Yo ur murder e r s napki n hangs u p on a bush

’

And th e kin g who sti ffe ns in a shirt o f bl o od ,

Too good too grave to number Wi th th e crumbs

, ,

Can leave an incub us to this winter castle .

Shoot bac k th e lips like bolts up on yo ur gra c e .

Make thimbl e of the mouth to suck your fly .

I co ol my spi ttle on th e smoki ng hook .

I take th e s e midnight thoughts be tween a tong .

As husband is laid down be sid e the lu te ,

Widow and minstrel in a single cerement ,

SOI on the plinth of passing shall I marry

,

The lunatic image in th e rave n frock &

1 5 8
The curve d meridian of hazard l ike a bo w
Paints o n the air the dark tree o f my death

Gums with o ut ivory fo r the ske l e tal smile &

A natal j oker squeakin g in his cri b.

He re birth and death are knitted b y a vowel .

A marin e r must sail his crew o f furies

Beyo nd the hook o f hazard to the oceanic lands .

His p rayers will bub bl e u p b e fo re the thro ne .

I now go where the s o liloquy o f the sad bee

, , ,

O num b s the nettles and the hiero glyp hic sto ne .

XI

O n the stone sill o f th e embalming winter

I te l l my malady b y the wh e el and the b erry ,

The hunters making their necklace o n the hills .

The escap ing dead han g frozen d own like flags ,

A breathing frost u p on the eyeball l e ns

Bl oo ms like still po ison in a dish o f quinces .

Spawn of the s o ft the unwrinkled wo mb

,
of queens ,

I add my numb er to the wo rld s defeated

’

I learn the carri on s scientific to rpor

’

The fi ve day baby swollen with its gases

-
,

I 59
Th e nun who fe ll from the ladder o f Jacob
My love hangs long e r than th e tongu e of hound .

I kn ee l at th e ke yhol e o f d e ath s p rivate room

’

To mee t His eye enormo us in the ke yhole

,
.

XII

This pai n go e s d ee p e r than th e fish s fathom

’
.

P e el m e an olive branch and hold it shining &

-

You have O ph e lia smilin g at her ch e ss ,

The suit o f love gored by th e courtier s fan g ’

.

You have my moth e r fold e d like a ra g ,

Whiter than p iano keys the canin e smi le

-
.

The marbl e statues ble e d if s he walks by ,

Paci ng th e marg ins o f the ch e qu e rb o ard

Where th e soft rabbit and her man in black

Play move fo r mov e the pawn against th e p rince
,
.

O men have made cradles o f their loving fingers

To ro c k my youth and I have sli p pe d between
, ,

Led like the magi to th e child s foul c rib

’

To h e ar my hands nail e d up betwe en two thieves .

1 6O
That d e ath s p ure c anon smiling in th e tre e s
’

Can lure th e fabulo us lion from his walks .

My as h I dre ss to dance upon th e void ,

My me rcy in a wall e t lik e a b e rry bright ,

And wh e n h e mp sings o f murd e r bless your boy ,

Th e doubl e fe llow in th e labyrinth ,

Whos e maps were stifl e d w ith him i n th e maz e ,

Whose mother dropped him like th e s ee dl e ss p od .

TH E D E ATH O F G E N E R AL UNC EB UNKE

A B I O G R AP HY I N L I TTL E

1
93 8

( T0 K a
y in Ta hiti& no w d ea d .
)
‘
Not satire b ut an e x e rc is e in ironi c c ompa s sio n .
’

F O U R T EE N C A R O L S

My un c l e sl ee p s in th e im ag e of d e a th .

In th e greenhous e and in the potting sh e d -

Th e wre ns j unke t & the old g irl wi th the trowe l

Is a pillar of sal t ins uffe rably b rit t l e
,
.

His not to re ason why t ho ugh a t h ink ing m an

,
.

B e side his m e sme ri c i ncompre h e nsio n

Th e littl e m o us e moppi ng and m owi ng ,

Th e gira ffe and th e spin turtl e th e s e c an

-
,

O n my pi c ture book look i ns uffe rably l itt l e

-

But knowing i ncre dibly Knowi ng

,
.

II

My uncl e has go ne b e yond a s t ro no m y .

H e S l eep s in the musi c room of t he Ho s t

-
.

Vo yage was always his ente r tainme nt

Who followe d a c rook e d nee dl e und e r O rio n ,

Saw th e griflin l e ft note s o n the baobab

, ,

Charte d th e Ye llow Coas t .

1 63
H e l ike a faul tl e ss l in e r fine r n e ve r took air
, ,

But snow on th e wi ngs alt e re d th e altitud e ,

Sh e paused in a hollow p ock e t fal te re d & ,

Th e enormous ligh ted bird is dash e d in snow .

Now in the labyri nth God will put him wis e ,

Corre c t the i nstrume nts will alte r e ve n

,

Th e imp e tuo us stance the focus of the eye s

,
.

1 11

Aunt P rud e n c e s he was the e ye of the n ee dl e

,
.

Sl ee p ing a sh e ph e rdess of ghostly sh ee p

,
.

‘
Thy will b e don e in Bad e n Bad e n .

I n O uchy Lo rd and in Vi c hy
, ,
.
’

In the gard e n o f t he Vica rag e sort ing s tamps

Was give n m e rit of th e poor in s pirit
For dus ting a cinquefoil tunin g the littl e lam ps
,
.

We ll God s e nds we a t h e r th e E nglish appl e

, , ,

Th e wee ping willow .

Grum li e s the co nsort of Prudenc e quite &

Mum as a l o ng fiddle in re gimentals &
Th is sudden IT b e twe en two tropi c al thumbs .

Unwrinkl e him Lord unriddl e this stran ge gorgon

, , ,

Fo r tall Prud enc e who soft e ns th e small lamps ,

G ive s h um bl e air to the organ tha t it b urns .

IV

My un c l e sl eep s in th e image o f d e ath .

No t a bad sport th e boys will tell you ,

1 64
Unc o upl e the flute s &Strike with the black
O ur so ng is no more plural th e bon e s
,

Are hollow without yo ur air Lord God ,

.

G ive us th e languag e of dia m o nds o r

The sp ee c h of th e l it tle stone s .

VI

P ruden c e shall cross also th e great white barri e r .

God shall fold finally up th e gre at fan

B e nevol e nt wings wheeling ove r the rectory ,

The vi c ar th e thatc h e r th e rat catcher

, ,
-
,

Sure in this me dicin e help her all they can .

O she is s ure in ste p with the ste p Of th e Maste r .

Winter loos e ns th e appl e faste ns th e E skimo

,
.

We ari ng his p ug marks for s lippers shall follow

-
,

Holding to common p raye r the Great B ear;

,

O ver th e Pol e s wh e reve r his voyages go

,
.

Shall navigate also the great c ircle ,

Confe r with the s e rio us mammoth th e sabre tooth ,

-
,

Com e to the sol e goal pala c e of high e r thin gs

, ,

Where God s good silve rware s p ills on all faces

’

And hazardously the good Wi zard gives wings ,

.

VII

My un c le sl ee ps in th e image of death .

He sl eeps th e ste ep S l ee p of his zo ne ,

His d o wnward tilting sl ee p b e yond alarm .

H e u &he will come to harm s o al o n e .

1 66
Who says for him th e thi ngs h e dare not sa &
y
H e c annot spe ak to ange ls from his ro ck .

This p e dime n t o f sl ee p is his i m pe d imen t .

Gran t him th e sp ee ch o f sl ee p ,

Not this dank s lag the d e athward s e d ime nt

,
.

S trik e wi th th e rod Lord God,

.

He re was a ruddy bare ba c k m an ,

E mpti e d his blood upo n the froz e n lake ,

Wh eel e d back the s c re aming mare s ,

C rossi ng the Jo rdan .

Exc us e m e Lord God numb e re r of hairs

, , ,

S end e r Of te l e g rams th e po iso ne d arrow

, ,

S uffe r yo ur fa ithful ho und gi v e him ,

At l e ast th e por tion of th e commo n s pa rrow .

VIII

My uncl e has go ne b e yond a s tronomy .

Three s ix nin e of th e d e ad language s

, ,

Are fold e d und e r his lip .

H e has c ross e d ove r into Tartary ,

B urnt his boats d ragge d th e bla c k ic e fo r bodi e s

, ,

S ee n tree s in the wate r skipp e re d God s l it tl e ship

,
’
.

He is no w l uggag e exc e ss baggage

, ,

No t wante d on voyag e s c al i ng a pas s , ,

O r swi ng ing a cutlas s in the Caribb ean ,

U nd e r Barbado s ch ewi ng th e franti c marsh ric e -

,

S eve n d e ad m en a c rooke d foo t a c ra cke d jaw

, , ,

Ten t ee th l ik e hollow d ic e .

1 67
My uncle is s l ee p in g in e co n o my .

NO word is waste d for the c o mmon gh o st

S peaks inwards &h e li e s in the stat us
O f death s dumb music the dumb dead kin g
’

O n an iv o ry c o ast .

IX

Prudence had no dog and b ut o ne cat ,

B lack o f bo nnet th e Lord s p lai n p rece p t saw

’

At th e at home on Calvary in the darkest nook

-
, ,

He was there; H e lean e d on a window smilin g ,

Th e God Sh ep h e rd crookin g his g hostly crook .

Prudence did dip and delve in the H o ly Bo o k ,

Alpha to omega ange ls told h e r the tale ,

Fee din g the parrot pensive over a croquet h oop

,
-

‘
O nce u p on a time was b o y and girl ,

Living on cherry berry fi sherman s si lver catch

, ,
’
.

No w the crass c o ck crows in the coop ,

Prudence the door dangles lacking a latch

, ,
.
’

My uncle has g one b e yo nd astronomy .

H e sleeps th e sharp sl e e p of the unstrun g

Crossed into Tartary h e l ies de ep
,

In the flora and fauna of d e ath ,

Under a black sn o wlin e sl eeps the steep ,

B otani cal p lant pure sl eep

,
-
.

1 68
 XII

Pr d ence
u w as told th e al e of th e chimney corn e r
t -

In th e i ngl e b ee t l e d ove r th e re d troll s book ’

‘
Ate th e whi te lie& Happ ily e ve r afte r ,

A h unchba ck a thi m bl e a smart swan

, , ,

Rid e tim e s tall wav e musically on and o n

’

Wa it of God to bait and wait with t he hook

s &

Was it of him bla ck laught e r at happ i ly ever afte r ‘ ’

A gras s widow a shadow embalme d in a S tory b ook & -

,

Me mory is mo rs e ls o ffe red of s p arrows .

Fi rs t priz e a jug and bowl for co rre c ting th e clock ,

S e ndi ng a te l e gram ga th e rin g holy c am pion

,
f
.

Lowly Prue is gl um of fing e r and thum b ,

To e in th e e mb e r disme mb e ring spools of kni t ting

,
.

Pa tien c e o n a m o numen t passion o n a cushion,

.

God s c hamp io n d arn i ng a so c k sitting

’

,
.

XIII

My unc l e sl ee ps in the imag e o f d e ath .

Th e shadow of oth e r worlds d ee p wa ter penumbra ,

-

Cove rs his m arbl e & h e is past sighing ,

Body a g re at S l ug th e re a fi ne wh ite,

Pik e in a gree n po nd lying .

My unc l e was a red m an The d e ad m an .

Knew to sho e hors e s & the habits of the o wl ,

Tim e of tillag e foi s on c ut ting of l umber

, , ,

Lik e Sain t Col umba ,

Co uld coax the squi rre ls i nto his cowl .

I 7 o
Heu &for th e tomb e a u, the sombre flam b eau,
I mm ane nt with God h e li e s in Limbo .

Bre ak pu ni c ro ck We a th e r man of th e tomb

.
-
,

We are l e ft amo ng littl e mice and ins e c ts ,

i
’
—
T me s clock wo rk womb .

XIV

P rud e n c e swe e tly s an g bo th crotch e t and quave r ,

D eath rip e d an e ye ball th e do g days

,
-

P ro ffe re d salt without savo ur th e cards we re c ut

,
.

Sh e h e ard a primo rdial mus ic the Hos t s tun e ,

’

Fo r th e g ue s t s swoon God going t he gamu t

’
-
.

Ho nour a toast for the re g im e n tal mas c ot ,

Th e thi n gi rl the boys of the bl ue fourtee nth

, ,

Drivi ng to As c o t& a we dding und e r th e sabre s ,

Tinke r and tailorman soldi e r o r sailo r

, ,

Lads of the villag e ente ring harbou r ,

O re sp e ct also tho s e windowless fe a ture s ,

The stainl e ss face o f the pro v in c ial barb e r .

Prud e nce plays mo nume n tal pati en c e by candles

Th e puffi ns s it in a book & the mu ffins are molte n
Th e cras s c lo c k c him e s ,

Time ly th e ho ur and d e s e rve d .

Pres ently will com e th e two we lcome ange ls

N0 1 s e i n the hall the last supper b e s e rve d
,
.

1 7 1
 F I V E S O L I L O &U I E S U P O N TH E T O MB
OF UNC E B U NK E

My uncl e has ente re d his soliloq uy .

H e keep s Vig il under the black sig il .

To be or not to b e at G o d s s ugge stion ’

.

That is th e que stion to know or not to know

,
.

Smoke powder bl ue and soft brass handl e s

-
,

Th e puma swoons amo ng th e silken candl e s ,

O E lsinore my s o n my s o n
, , ,

Tige r Of th e zenith h e ife r of th e re d h e rd

, ,

His fugu e of fl e sh and ours in c o unt e rpoi nt ,

Which mov e s or s ee m s to move

,
.

I t is o nly God s breath in the nave

’

Moving the c inque foils only the foo two rk

,

O f mo ngols c re tins and mutes sme lling of b ee r

, ,
.

(Th e ca ndles br e ath e i n th e ir poll e n )

H e that hath ears to h e ar l e t him h e ar , ,

Le t him b ear fals e witne ss ,

Co ugh o ut th e ca ndl e s cove t his n e ighbo ur

,
.

Le t him c ra c k the t e n tabl e ts burn th e p uma , ,

S e t up as father son and ghost

, ,

This my black humour

,
.
The shoe full of nails the plou ghb o y
,

Whetting his axe on a b ush re memb e rs ,

Re calls and re gre ts & Whom th e Gods love

Is death s sup e rlative decoy
’
.

Num en ines t O nly th e ston e puma

.
,

Flumi no us und e r the b utte r of candles ,

Share s this fierce h umour .

A NTH E M

L it tle m a n s food is brief ba rley

’
.

His p a t ron is bla ck m a lt .

Afterwa rd s d ea th is his ma t ron .

B ringing m us ica l brea d &

Go d with his fo ot wo rk
B ringing m us ica l brea d .

D ipp ed in the hea rt d a rk l

’
s sa t.

III

Friends Humans Englishmen &

, ,

O ffice r at the bar and g e n t l eman in bed ,

Kin gs in your coun ting hous e s c l erks at cricket

-
, ,

All you who p lay in this desp e rate game ,

Hope s of the sid e the tenth wicket

, ,

Who will he certainly rais e d to the rank o f aunt

In th e new millenni um & permit
Th e b ro m o id e ncomi um o f the harmonium ,

We ar th e h e art at half mast and signal

-

A feudal d e a th of an o ld order ,

The dissolving warrior in his iro n hat .

1 74
O bs e rv e th e soul s decorum & S tand
’

,
my so n,

Hymn number one .

AN T H E M

P o o r To m , who s e hap e wa s s terile d us t

No w p erches on a n a ngel s t hum b
’
.

While cherubims with s ilky lim bs

Around him hy m n a nd hum .

IV

My unc l e has e n te re d his sol iloquy;

Under th e bla ck s ig il th e old wh ite one
Knee ls in the Lamb s blood ’

Hymne d by portentous c rotch e ts ,

Kee ps his smart vigil .

Puma of powd e r blu e whos e s t ony lip

-

Re fle cts th e c andl e s wi th a mineral e ye

,

Cove ts th e blood b ut do e s no t dare to s ip

,
.

This man my R o m ans was a R oman

, , ,

A bre ake r o f S kyl ine took firs t p riz e

,

I n th e regatta fo r m en pas t me nopaus e ,

Pass e d thero ugh the eye of th e nee dl e ; broke

Th e hug o f th e Gre a t B e ar the hug ,

O f a gla c i e r s hai ry ba c k and oxyge n claws

’
.

Spat o n O rion l e ft his s ho e s in a c hurch

, ,

H ung a harp o n e very wee ping willow ,

Took tiflin by the Ind ian b ulrush e s s aw ,

Th e las t d e range d c ra te r s wallowe d the Word

,
.

I 75
Shot his bolt in the G o bi .

Was left in th e lurch ,

Then like a R oman fell upon ,

his sword .

This p rince this b ug this human

, , ,

Wh o sl e eps und e r th e great cat sleeping ,

Share s wi th the smiling paranoiac ,

Shares wi th the baby in th e cree p ing suit -

,

An a mniotic balance th e div e r s grief ,

’
.

Has followed a R oman nose past Mandalay ,

Ladybird o n a leaf .

AN T H E M
S imp le d d ition, s imp le s ubt rac tion
a .

One is lefi and the o ther is ta ken&

S imp le con d it ion but m ultip le fra ction .

One is a d oll& t he ot her will wa ken .

S imp le re
fl i
ec t on, s imp le f
re ra ct ion .

P lus or m inus , but neverjus t O NE .

S imp le equa t ion but m ult ip le a c t ion

Ten lit tle nigger boy s & now t here a re none .

My uncl e has entere d his solil o quy .

The candles sh e d th e ir fur .

O world be nobler fo r h e r sak e .

Th e boys han g in the ve stry the days ,

Are drawing i n Blow out th e flesh

.
,

The three score ten o f candl e s

-
,

This squalid birthday cake - .

Give us t o Go d wi th S lim and S hining handles .

1 7 6
 L E TT E R S IN D A R KN E S S

So many mo c k e rs o f th e doctrine
Turn away t ry not to h ear
,

Th e antinomian b utch e rs
In th e grap e Vin e o f ideas
-
.

I t is we who obs e rve who su ffe r ,

We who confide who he

They are p ulling and sna pp ing

The disord e re d vi ne limbs Dionys us
-
, ,

The body of o ur body on c e d ivi ne ,

Re p lacing th e cove te d order o f desire

With all the lumb e r l o v e can l e ave ,

A star ento mbed i n fl e sh d e sire l e ssne ss

, ,

In som e g hostly b e droo m re nt e d for a night .

Conn ive Connive

, ,

Fo r th e gre at wh ee l is turning
Under th e politics Of th e hive .

Connive for eve rywh e re

,

H e rmits and patron saints -

O n the grea t star wh e el c ruc ified

-

Pinned o ut li e b urning burning , ,

And life is b e ing d e livered to th e half alive - .

1 7 8
 III

O ld c o ck p heasants when you hit o ne

-

Lumber and burst up o n th e gro und ,

The body s p lum p contra p tion splits

’

Th e ir laggin g rainbow into bits .

So marriag e can by rip e n e ss b ound

, ,

From ove r rip en e ss qualify

-

To sick d e tachm ent in th e mind

Dreams bursting at th e s e ams to di e
By c o ld e r c o itus in the mind o f God ,

Stitch e s ri p p e d u p which used t o hold

The modern heart from growing cold .

Now logic founders s peech begins

,
.

Symbols ske tch a swayin g bridge

B e tween th e states at p eac e or war ,

Athens or S p arta fightin g fo r

What foolish head or fond heart wins .

Much later will the lover coax

O ut of the b e stiary of his heart
The littl e hairy sexer Pan , ,

—
Th e turnin g point p ure laughte r
-
,

To mak e the reckonin g round and full

I f Jill c o mes tumblin g afte r .

He lies in his l ove in shadowless conte nt

As to ngue in mo uth as po e ms in a skull
,
.

I 79
 IV

J upite r s o l uc ky wh e n h e lay
,

Tram pl ing amo ng th e ros e s & bodi e s

O f yo ung g irls a c age o f sighs
B e sid e a d ri fting rive r picture-

Was all th e po e t wish e d in yo uth

But lat e r s aw the gliste ning dewlap
O f th e man b ull h e ard the cri e s
-
, ,

Th e squat consorts o f th e passion

Twisted lik e fi gs i nto the l e gs
O f wash e rwome n scree chin g o n th e Li ffey ,

Soaping th e flacc id thighs and d ugs ,

Re magne t ized again by thoughts of old

Familiar incoh e rent m e as urel e ss
, ,

Co nte mp ts th e grabbi ng fl e sh must

Always hold like thefts from h uman logic
, ,

And savo ur till the gums and spice s fade .

Dear b e hind th e chokin g estuaries

,

O f sl eep or waking in th e acts

,

Which dre am thems e lve s and make ,

Swollen und e r lum ino l re s p onsibiliti e s

,

Whi ch no on e else can take ,

I watc h the faultl e ss me asure o f your dying

Into an unknown misused animal
H e ld b y th e ro p es and dru gs; the p uny
Re cip e society propos e s wh e n machin e s
Break d o wn Love was o ur machin e
. .

1 80
All possible fore knowledg e o f th e enigma .

But the i nfe c t e d fac e of lon e li ne ss

Smil e s back wh e re ve r mi rrors droo p and bl ee d .

VII

I magin e we are the livin g who inhabit

Free zi ng O ffi ce s in a winte r town ,

Who daily fo und e r d ee pe r in

Our self disdain being mirrore d in
-

Each Others c omplicated ways of dyin g

’
.

H e re neith e r bri ck nor glass can warm

Th e sanitary dust o f c e ntral h e atin g ,

And th e damp air lik e a p o ultic e we ts

The fears o f living whi c h tho ugh t b ege ts .

H e re we feed as prison e rs fe e d s p id e rs
, ,

I m po rtant to th e re aso n as B ruce s was

’

Huge sprawling emotions kept in bottles

B e low th e ci v il s urface o f th e mi nd ,

That snap and sway upon th e we bs

O f te arl e ss re signation bo ught with sl ee p .

Som e few have what I have &

Sil ent g old p re ssure o f e ye s
B e longing to on e de e ply hurt d ee ply aware
,
.

Truly though we n e ver sp e ak

Th e past has marke d us e a ch
In di ffe re n t live s c onte nding for eac h other
We b e ar lik e anci e nt marbl e we ll h e ads
-

Marks o f th e ro pe s th e y lowe re d in us ,

1 82
Te llin g of the concerns of time ,

The knife o f fe elin g in the art of love .

VIII

So at l ast we come to the writer s ’

Midd l e years th e hardest ye t to bear

, ,

All wi l l agree & fo r it is no w

He c o nde nses p runes and tries to order
,

The experi ences which gorged upon his yo uth .

Every wrinkle now e arn e d is gifted ,

Every gre y hair tolls H e matches no w

.

O ld kiss e s t o new and in th e bodi e s

,

O f yo un ger l earners thro ws o ff his sperm

Like lumb e r just to e ase the weight

O f sighin g fo r th e ir youth his abandoned own
,

And in th e c oital slumber poaches

From lips and tongue s th e p oll e n
O f youth to dust th e lice nce o f his art
,
.

You cann o t guess how he has been waiting

Fo r these ye ars these ri p e and terribl e
,

Ye ars o f th e agon; with th e athl e te s ’

Calm foreknowled ge o f a d e athly rip e ness ,

Facin g pe rhaps a publi c d e ath by b lows ,

O r a massive sprain in the c e ntre o f his mind ,

Th e whol e wo rld; his champion feve r glows

With all th e dark misgiving s of th e bout .

1 83
Fe d by th e promis e o f his country s laurels
’
.

S o havin g dis po ss e ssed himself and b eing

, ,

Now fo r the first tim e p re pared to die

1 84
Cross the thre shold of the circl e
Turni ng in its me sme rism
O n the ful c rum of th e Bre ath
L earn the love ly m ann e rism
O f a p e rfe c t art in d e a th
- -
.

Thi nk & two ama te urs in E d e n ,

Spa ce s in th e voi ce l e ss gard e n ,

Anc e s t o rs whos e haun te d fa ce s

Me t upon the appl e s b rui s e s ’

B roke the love ly S p e ll of pa rdon .

Flowe r with your pure ass e rtio n

, ,

Mythical and s ea born Olive

-
,

Share th e i ndivi s ibl e air ,

Te a c h th e h uman compromis e
From a z e ro pl us or mi nus
, ,

Bo rn int o the gre at App earan c e ,

B uildi ng citie s d ee p in garde ns ,

D ee ply still the law divines us

In its tim e l e ss i ncoh e re nc e .

Wha t is known is ne ve r written .

By the e qual distrib utio n

H e and Sh e and It are g enders ,

Sparks of c arbon on the c irc l e

Mee ting in the porc h of sex .

Face s mix and n umbers mingl e

Many asp e c ts of the O n e
Te a c h th e human c ompromis e .

Spee c h will nev er s tain th e bl ue

'

Nor th e love r s o cc ult kiss e s

’

Hold the curv e s of Parad is e .

1 86
The voi c e s have their dying fall
.

Th e fin ge rs restin g on the h e art

,

The Dumb petitions in the churchyard

Und e r th e Europ ean sword
Spell out o ur tribal suicide
.

Grass is green but goes to smoke

Yo u my fri e nd and y o u and you
, , , ,

Breathe on th e divinin g crys tal

,

Cut d own History th e o ak &

,

Pre pare us for the sword and pis t ol .

1 87
 PA RI S J O U R NAL

Monday escape s d e struction .

Re cord a ve rnal afternoon ,

Te a o n the lawn with m oth e r ,

A paro c hial inte re st in lov e etc ,

.

By the d evia tion of a hair ,

Is d e ath s o far s o far no further

, ,
.

Tu e sday& visib il ity good & and Wedne sday .

A littl e thund e r som e light showers

,
.

A library book about th e univers e .

Th e abs e nce of a definite self .

O and alre ady by Friday hazardous ,

To Sat urday b e gins the slow reve rs e .

A Saturday without form By midni ght .

Th e e quinox s ee ms fore ver g on e &

Ye t th e mo t ionless voi c e re p e at ing
Bl e ss th e hills in p aradigms o f smoke
‘
,

Manhair Maid e nhair meeting

’
.
,

Bu t oday Sunday Th e p it
t . .

Th e axe and th e knot Cannot write . .

Th e monste r in its booth .

At a quarter to o ne th e mask rep e ating

‘
Truth is what is
Truth is what is Truth & ’

1 88
 MYTH O L O GY

All my favourite charac te rs have been

O ut of all patte rn and propo rtion &
Som e living in Villas by railways ,

Som e like Katsimbal is heard b ut s e ldom s een ,

And o th e rs in banks whos e s unl e ss hands

M o ve d like gre at rats on l e dg e rs .

Tibbl e ,
P urvi s the D uke Of Puke
Go nd ril, ,

Shatterb lo ss o m and D ud e Bowdl e r

Who swe ll e d up in Ja ffa and b e cam e a tree
Hollis who had wive s kill e d und er h im like horses
And that m an of d e stiny ,

Ramon d e Some thi ng who gave l e cture s

From an e l e phant fou nd e d a soci e ty
To p ro t e c t th e inan i m at e agai nst c rue l ty .

He gave asyl um to age d c ha irs in his hom e ‘

Lampposts and c rocke ry e verything that

,

Seem e d to him s uffe ring h e took in

Withou t mo cke ry .

Th e p o e t ry was in the pi ty No judge men t

.

D isturb s p e opl e l ik e th e s e in th e i r fram e s

O men o f th e Marmion class sons of the fre e,
.

1 9 0
 P O LITI C S

Chemists mi ght c o mpare th e ir pro p erties

The Englishman wi th his Apol ogisin g Ba g ,

The Ainu wi th interesting stone ag e cuffs -

,

O r whoever invented stars as a witness &

Nati o ns which through ex cess o f sensi b ility
Re p os e in Opium under a great l eaf&
The French with their elastic manual cod e
And s o c o m p arin g find the thre e comm o n d e sires
, ,

O f hun ger smilin g and o f b eing l o ved

, ,
.

O utside I mean the p enumb ra o f the re al

, ,

Mystery th e whole wo rld as a Why

,
.

Living p urely in the naked How s o join ,

As the writer unites dissimilars

O r th e doctor with his womb ba g joins -

The cumb ersome ends o f b roken b o nes in

A simple p erishable function ,

To exhale like a sm o ke ring the O & o y .

1 9 1
 TH E DAILY MI R R O R

Wri ting this stu ff should not have bee n like

Sui c id e over som e ordinary misa p pre h ension

A man goi ng into his o wn house s ay, ,

Turnin g out all the lights before undressing ,

At the b e dside of som e lovely ignoramus

‘
Whis pe rin g& Tom o rrow I swe ar is the last time .
’

‘
O r& Be lieve and I swe ar you will n e ver di e
,
.
’

This ni b dragged o ut like the late train

Rac ing o n iron bars fo r th e nort h .

Target& another world not n e cessarily better

, ,

O f course but di ffe re nt c ompl e tely di fferent

, ,
.

The hour glass shiftin g its trash o f seconds

- .

If it do e s no t end this way p erhaps some o ther .

Gossip lying in a furnish e d room b linds drawn

,
.

A p o em with its throat cut from ear to ear .

 E L E GY O N TH E C L O S I N G O F TH E
F RE N C H B R O TH E LS

(F o r Henr
y M ill er an d Georg e Ka ts imba lis )

Last of the gre at autumnal capitals

Disengag i ng daily lik e a sword
The civil cod e s b e haviour fri endship love
, , , ,

In ho uses of sh i n i n g glass ,

O n tabl e cloths stain e d with pools o f light ,

By the ramblin g rive r s e ve nin g sc ents

’

Carri e d o ur fre ight of pain S O lightly&

And to wards e ve ning when th e i nkwe l ls overturn
And at last the fi gu re whi c h has sat
M o tio nl e ss for ho urs po urs him s e lf out
,

O n e glass of m o o nlight drinks it and retire s

, ,
.

By the railway arches a stone p linth .

Und e r th e shadows of th e lamps the fi gures .

So many ways of dividi ng u p the s e lf&

Corres p ondences movi ng ou t wards al o n g a lin e
O f nerve s the m e mory o f l e tte rs
,

Sme lling lik e ap p les in an e m p ty cupb o ard ,

And at midnight th e pall of clocks ,

At Odds among th e ms e lve s th e shu ffl ing

,

O f innume rabl e p ac ks of cards where e ac h shall se e

O ne day his face instead of fortun e s b e ’
.
 II

Bound he re to th e gre at axis of the s ex ,

Bla c k sourc e that fee ds yo ur mann e rs give s ,

Info rmation and viva c i ty to food and l in e n ,

D e te rmine d as th e p enetration into s e lf abus e -

For e a ch s e paratio n by ki s s e s forg e s n ew bonds

Thre e or four wo rds on th e ba c k of a l e tte r ,

Te ssa waiting on a corn e r wi th all she fee ls ,

Rai n glitte ring in that p ea c o c k s e ye ’

AS h e avy wi th s e ns e as a ki ng s l e tt e r with s e als

’
.

Here the p rofe ssio nal obs e rve r m e t you ,

The amateu r in m e lan c holy ,

To th e swish of an invisible fountain ,

Dri nking from a glass under a man o n hors eb ack ,

Talking t o a lady with a poison e d finge r .

Wome n turne d ove r by the mind and e ach

A prop e r noun an act of tre spass
, ,

Improp e r for its ab e rration but acc ep ted

As in a mirror one is t wice but accepts .

So in these magazines of love they moved ,

Expe ri en c e misb e gotte n in eac h fa c e like rin g s

In wood we re commentators o n our we akn e ss
, ,

Through c ycl e s of rep e ntan c e in th e blood ,

E xhauste d th e body s ugly conte nts in a sigh

’

L e ft hard as ash th e obj e ct s shap e & an art

, ,
’

E ros b egan s e lf murd e r carri e s on

,
-
.

I 95
 111

O f all the s ic kn e s s e s a utumnal P aris

, ,

This s e lf in fe c tio n was the b e s t wh e re frie nds

-
,

Like s e lf p oss e ssion c o uld b e l e arn e d

-

Th ro ugh the myste ry of a sl it

Like a t e ar in an old fur c oa t ,
‘

A hol e in a pap e r lante rn wh e re th e s ee ing I

Looke d out and m easure d on e &
Th e fero c io us knuckl e of a sex
Standing to acknowl e dg e lik e a hambon e
O ur m e mb e rsh ip in the body of a trib e
Holy and r idi c ulou s at on c e &
Symbol of Unre cognis e d d e sire pain pain , ,
.

You might have s e en sil e n c e flowe r in e ye s ,

Th e tobacc o e yes of e ve ry h um an c riti c ,

O r a mouth laid alo ng th e menis cus

O f a lighte d glass blaz ing lik e a d iamond .

All the gre at bro th e ls c los e d save Sacr& Co e ur &

Windows boa rd e d up from the i nh e rito rs ,

Th e name l e s s do nors i nhabi ting m arbl e fan e s

On p e nins ula s w it h c o c k s of gold in s unligh t ,

Und e r th e ol e and e rs printe d in war m mo s s

, ,

Th e bare ankl e s playing on a flute ,

S e l e c ting the bodi e s of boys th e te mporary

,

Re fug e for a kis s on the s ilve r ba cks of mirrors

Powd e r o f s tatue s in a g rove born old ,

Bo rn sightl e ss wi ngl e ss neVer t o be love d

, ,
.

1 9 6
Now the c ap ital s s e t t le s lowly in the s ea
O f th e i r fail ure s All the c om m o n b rute has done
.

Bu ild ing l ik e a rat the rotte n s hanti e s

O f his s e l f e s tee m b e s id e th e wate r s e dge
-
’

His fe a r and p rej udi c e into a d e ad ind e x

.

Th e proh ibi tio ns in us with t he fea rs th e y grow from

For th e b e love d will b e no happ ie r
No r th e unlove d l e ss h ungry wh e n th e mi racl e b e gins

In t h e ir own na ture s by S implicity

Like ro se s in a giv ing o ff of g race
’

1 9 8
 TH E C R IT I C S

Th e y n e ve r c re dit us
Wi th b e in g bad e nough
Th e boys that com e to e di t us
O f simply not caring wh e n a prize ,

Some th ing for nothing c ome s o ur way

, ,

A wife a mistre ss or a holiday

, ,

Fr o m P e opl e living neck fas t in th e ir lies .

No & Shakes pear s ho us e hold bills

’

C ould n e ve r be re s p onsibl e they s ay , ,

For all th e heartbre ak and th e ills

His work is h e ir to p o e m sonn e t p lay
, , ,

E m e nd e d readings give th e re al reason &

The time s we re o ut of join t th e love s th e season , ,
.

—
Man With A Me ssag e ho w could you forge t
To read your proofs th e h e artache and th e fret &
,

Th e copier or th e p rinter
Must take th e blam e fo r it in all
Th e variants they will p ublish by the winter .

‘
By e lision we quarte r su ffe ri ng To o tru e .
’
.

‘
From image s and s c ansion can b e l e arne d .
’

Yet und e r it pe rhaps may b e discerned

—
A some thin g e ls e afoot a Thing
Lacking b oth p re ced e nt and nam e and gend e r
An uncreated We ight wh ic h l e ft its clu e ,

Makin g him run up hills ,

Making him viol e nt o r distrait o r t end e r

L e av ing fo r Stratford might have heard It s ay
‘
Te ll th e m I won t b e ba ck on Saturday
’
.

My wi fe will und e rstand I m on a b e nder ’

.
’

I 99
 ‘
And to hims e lf mu t te ring mutte ring & Wo rds
,

Add e d to words multiply th e S pace

B e twee n this fee ling and my e xp ressing I t .

Th e wires ge t far to o hot Tim e smould e rs

.

Like a burnin g rug I will b e fre e

. .
’

And all the tim e fro m th e d onkey s h e ad

’

‘
Th e l o ve r is whis p ering & This is not
What I imagin e d as Reali t y .

If wo uld
’
s ee &

20 0
S ONG FO R &A R ATH US T R A

Le l im ba nque is
sa t coming wi th
His h e els b e hi nd his h e ad .

His smil e is mortua ry and

His whole e xpre ssio n d e ad .

Th e a c roba t the a croba t

, ,

D e m andi ng S i nc e the Fall

Li t tle e nough b ut h e m p en s tuff
To c limb and hang us all .

Mys te rio us inventi ons like

Th e t ro us e rs and the hat
B ewitch e d o ur re al i nte n tions
We sewe d the fi g l e av e s flat
-
.

Man s ewe d his s e v en po c ke ts

Upo n his hairy c lo th e s
But woma n in h e r own wh it e fl e sh
Has o ne s he s e ldom shows .

An ap e rture 0 1 a ngui s h
1
,

A keyhol e on disg race &

Th e fe ature s stay grimac i ng
Upo n th e mossy fa c e .

A cup witho ut a handl e

A s ta ff without a c rook ,

Th e sawd us t in th e golly s h e ad ’

Th e te apot wi th the nook .

20 2
Within t he sid e of Man

Its face s whil e it can .

Compos e us in th e find e r
Our organs upsid e down

The docto r in his gown .

What Yang and Yin divid e d

Mus t on e day b e unite d and

Le t no man put asund e r .

20 3
B A L L A D O F KRET S C HME R ’
S TYP E S

( p yknics are S hort

,
fat and hairy ,

l ep t o som e s thin and tall)

Th e s c hizophre n e th e cyc lothyme

,

Swe rve from th e droll to th e s ublime ,

Comin g of e pil e p t oid sto c k

Th e y te ll the t i me without a c lock .

Th e p yknic is th e p rince of thes e

And glo rifi es his mental status
Not by acts on mind s trape ze’

But pure ly by divine a ffl atus .

O blivious to th e criti c s c ano n ’

Th e rational booby s fals e d &c or

’

H e swi g s away th e Absol ute

And then d e mands some m ore .

Pity the lanky leptosom e

My o p tic te n e brous and gl um
Whose littl e pigs must stay at h o m e
Unless th e y move by rul e of thumb .

Salute the p o d gling pykni c t h e n

That gro ss and glabro us p rinc e of men ,

Contriver of th e po e t s c od e’

And hero o f th e Comic Mod e .

20 4
B ALLA D O F TH E O ED IP US C O M P LE X

From Travancore to Tripoli

1 trail e d th e g reat Imago ,

Whe reve r Freud has followe d me

I fe lt Mama and Pa go .

(The e ngine loves the driv e r

And the d river love s his mate ,

Th e mat tre ss stroke s the p illow

And th e p e ncil poke s the slate)

I t ri e d to strangl e it one day

Whil e Si tting in th e Lido
But it go t up and tickl e d m e
And now I m all L ibid o
’
.

My friends spoke to the Cens o r

And the censor warn e d th e Id
By tho ugh th e y tried to hush thing s
They n e i th e r of them did &

(Th e ba rman l o ves his poti o n

And the admiral his barg e ,

The frog m an love s the o c e an

And th e soldi e r his discharge ) .

(Th e c ri t ic loves urbanity

Th e plumb e r love s his to o l .

Th e pre ach e r all humanity

Th e po e t love s the fool ) .

20 6
O n seve n di fferent days
Condemne d my col o ured garters

I d catch a mag ic constable

’

And lo c k him b e hind bars

To be a warnin g to all men
have mamas

20 7
 IND EX OF FI R ST LINE S
A C p t i d p ut t i n g ing t Et h i pi
o c e 89 a o ,
o o o a, 1

A p nny f r y u t ho ugh t I w n t
‘ ’

e o 04o r s . as 1
A ph il ph e in o so h f h um n lu 3 4 r s earc o a va es ,
A w nt nigh t g in nd t h m o n 3 5
i er a a ,
a e o ,

A ft l ifet im e f w it ing cr t i
‘
er a 08 o r a os cs .
,
1
A ft tw nt y y s no t h m et ing 7 6
er e ear a er e ,

A l x nd w in l o e w it h A t h en
e a er as09 v s . 1
A ll cit ie pl in nd p eo pl e 4 8
s a s a ,
1

A ll m y f o u ite h r ct
av h e b een 9 0 r c a a ers av ,
1
And l t r Sp ing wh ich co m p el t h e e ep r t io n
a e ,
r , s s s a a s, 93
And o t l t g o d b y e 7 9
s a as o ,

And t o d y de t h m e t o t he h o u e 4 3
a a co s s ,

A n nym us h nd ec d o ne fte no o n 6 9
o o a , r or a r ,

A d i i o ig in l in p t icul r nse
‘
rca a s r a a ar a se .

A t d n Th us G l b o 7 3
‘ ’

r a or s . a .
,

As h u b nd i l id d w n b e id e t he l ut e
s a s 58 a o s ,
1

Ash h eap f fOu cul t u

-
o92 r res,
At F un h l t he b l ck i h y e st 9 0
c a a s a ,

At l t w it h f ur p e x id wh o es 7 0
as o ro e r ,

At t h i t h l t y et
s co nd m
e t ing 8 6
as se ee ,

A unt P ud ence h w t he ey e o f t he need l e 1 64

r ,
s e as ,

hdf
B anis e ro m t he Old ro o -t ree P at m o s 6 0 f ,

y d
Be o n t he ca es and ea an s o f t he is , 9 8 p h dl d w h
Bo m b ers b urst in i e o s go o n 1 5 0 glk p d d w ,

B o un dh
ere t o t he reat a is o f t he sex , 1 9 5 g x
w
By t h e at ers o f B u a, 1 4 1 d
C hem ist s m igh t co m pare t h eir p ro p ert ies 1 91
Co nniv e Co nnive 1 7 8, ,

C rud e m an in h is co at o f nerv es and h air ,

1 97
l d l ik e a h oo p
cur e in s leep ,
1 6

Dark b ird s in nat ure red ev ise 6 2 ,

Dark ness d iv ulge m y s h are in l igh t 1 3 3

, ,

D ear b eh ind t he ch o k ing est uaries 1 8 0

, ,

DES PA TC H A DGENER AL P U B LIC S E X THE W ES T ,

I 93

Earl y o ne m o rning unrem ark e d , 5

Faces m ay set tle sad l y 1 3 9 ,

F inall y I am here Co no n in ex ile o n A nd ro s 8 2 .

,

Find t im e h ang ing cut it do w n 7 , ,

Fo ur card pl ay ers & a n iko n o f t he saint 6 1

-
,

Fo ur sm a ll no uns I p ut t o p asture 6 ,

Fraud ul ent p erh aps in t hat t hey gav e 2 1 ,

Friend s Hum ans Engl ishm en& 1 7 4

, , ,

Friend s Ro m ans co unt rym en 1 7 3

, , ,

Fro m t he d ark v iand s o f t he church 1 0 1 ,

Fro m t he intellect s g ro sser d eno m inatio ns 7 7 ’

F ro m t h is gl ass gall o w s in fam o us enterta inm ent ,

1 2 5
F ro m Trav anco re to Tripo l i 2 0 6 ,

20 8
No w eart h t urns h er co l d sh o ul ders t o us 1 4 4 ,

No w ev erywhere S p ring o p ens 3 3 ,

No w m ark t he La dy o ne fi ne d ay 1 4
, ,

No w No v em b er v is it ing w it h ra in 1 4 0 ,

No w wh en t h e angl er b y Bet hlehem s water 4 4

’

O fi sherm en far b eyo nd t he wat ers 1 0 0

, ,

O f all t h e s ick nesses aut um nal Paris 1 9 6, ,

O l d co ck ph easant s wh en y o u hit o ne 1 7 9
-
,

On t h e st o ne sill o f t h e em b al m ing w int er 1 5 9 ,

O nce in i l eness was m y b eg inning 1 3 4

d ,

One inno cent o b server in a o reig n cell 1 5 2 f ,

One S he flo at s as Venice m igh t 3 6 ,

O nl t o af rm in t im e 1 8 5
y fi ,

O rph eus, b el o v e am ul us, 2 df

Pain h angs m o re b l o o dy t h an t he m y st ic s t aws 1 5 8
’
.
,

P ro ffer the lo av es o f pa in 1 7 ,

Pro sp ero upo n his is land 1 3 8 ,

P rude nce had no d o g and b ut o ne cat 1 6 8 ,

P rudence shall cro ss al so t he g reat wh ite b arrier 1 66 .

,

P rud ence sw ee t l y sang b o t h cro t c h et and q uaver 1 7 1 ,

P rud ence wa s t o l d t h e t al e o f t he chim ney co rner 1 7 0 -

,

( p yk nics are s ho rt , fat and h iy a r ,

20 4

&uiet roo m , f o ur ca n dl es, red wine in p o ttery z, 7 3

R ed Po l ish m o ut h L ,
1 43
“

R em em b er pl
.

ease t im h as no jo int s 22
e
&
, ,

R id e o ut at d gh
m i ni t , 8

S h ut up fro m pl easure in a h o l y fo untain 9 6

S m all t em pt at io ns no w—t o sl um b er and t o sl eep
,

,
1 51
l
So at ast we co m e t o t he rit er s 1 8 3 w ’

k wl d g
S o no e e has an end , 1 4 5
y k
So m a n m o c ers o f t he o ct rine, 1 7 8 d
y wh
So o ne fi ne ear ere t he ro a s , 1 3 8 d
l ly
So Time , t he o v e a nd m sterio us , 1 4 1 y
S o t as uf s o f sm o e co m b inin 1
f p f k g ,

So m e t he reat A e t s , o un it , 8 5
,g dp f d
S o m et in i e t he sea 3
h glk ,

S o m et im e we s a all co m e t o et er, 7 2
h ll g h
S rin sa s o ur A e an rian oet 2 8
p g y y l x d p
‘ ’

S t e is the cut o f t he m in
yl d
‘
1 0 8 .

S ure a o v e d ay and all eat er, 9

l ly w h
h p d
The ants t at asse 1 06 ,

y p
The b ab em ero r, 3 0
l l xp
The co o nia , t he e at riate a in ere, 1 3 w lk g h
l g d
Th e ev i and t he o o seem un ist inguis e , 4 8 d hd
Th e ro nt iers at ast , I am ee in so t ire , I 1 2
f l f l g d .

g h y pp d
The rass t e cro e co nv ert in int o s ee , 9 5 g p d
210
Th e l d fd w
is a n s reb uf e b y ater , 4 .

The l d wh h wh p
is an s ic is er t o t heam b it io us 4 6 ,

The l l g ld g l
it t e o ci a e 1 2 6 ,

The x h g d
m i t ures o f t is ar en, 5 7
Th e y ll w p
Ol d e o Em ero r, 1 4 8
The r ad s l e d so ut hw rd b l ue 5 0
o a a , ,

The rub b er pe ni t he w ig t h e f l e b east s

s, 1 07 , a s r

Then w l k wh e e ro ses l ike d iscipl s c n 1 6 1

a r e a ,

Th e e sh ip s t h e e isl nd t h e e simpl e t rees 1 0

s ,
s a s, s ,
1

Th ey ne er c ed it us 9 9
v r ,
1

Th is b o y is t he go o d sh epherd 1 2 3 ,

Th i l nd sc pe i no t o rig in l in it o wn mo d e
‘
s a a s a s .

Th is p in g e d eeper t h n t he fi sh s fath o m 1 60
a o s a
’
.
,

Th is ro ugh fiel d o f udd en w 1 1 s ar 1

Th ree wo m en h e slep t w it h m y b o o ks 8 1
av ,

Thy k ingd o m co m e They s y the p ro ph et 0

. a ,
1

Tim e m rched gainst my egg 2

a a ,
1

To b e a k ing o f isl and s 4 5 ,

To y o u b y wh o m t he sweet sph eric l m usic 1 6 a ,

1

To yo u in h igh h ea en t he un ttainab l e 1 5 5
v a ,

Trem b l ing t h ey appear t h S iren isl es 2 6 , e ,

Unrev isited perh aps fo rev er , 64

Vero nese grey &Here in t he Octago n Roo m ,

1 8

W l k upo n d re m s and p ss b eh ind t he b o o k 1 5 6

a a ,
a ,

W t rb ird s sail ing upo n t he d rk ne s 8 8

a e a s ,

W e uffer acco rd ing to t he t erm we m ake 1 9 7

s s ,

Wh en t hey b ro ugh t o n t he sleep ing ch il d 7 4 ,

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