Monday 31 December 2012

The Melodrama of Solidity




The sky doesn’t laugh anymore,
But folds autumnal and crisp in our palms,
Papery and fish-bone thin;
Its brittle horizon safer in copper resign,
As we ice things, sober on chalk, 
All holes, friction and discontent,
Hedge our clouds in a tumorous fashion - 
A windless artillery against this stale skyline 
Of hopelessness and self-consumption. 

We haven’t always sold our steam in rusted boats, 
Landlocked in algal waters as brined mist corrodes our cobbled past. 
We once feasted on charcoal, rain, and the maimed chime 
Of Big Ben dressed in his best oily philosophy,
Breaking atoms along the ley lines with dirty feet
And a wooden conscience. But now we drift, 
Surrendering to the wars in shadows
That breathe heavily on our starving eyes
And slurp at the metal we sold our names for.

The Earth has forgotten us. It lives on its knees,
Feral and drugged, suspicious of our hands,
And the birds are nestless, 
They fly like rocks, overloaded in submission and
Judging in their applause. Though I will not feed them.
Not now, as we stand on the brink of Land’s End, 
Ensconced in the melodrama of solidity, 
Our discoloured empire draped in the sighs 
Of a collapsing moon that has long since regretted us, 
Violent and incoherent as we cut its hair at night.

“You have to smile”, they said, it makes it easier; 
Though you can’t love in bone, and the hollow beaks
Growing between our footprints threaten to unsettle 
Our instability. We must embrace the tragedy of silence,
Grab it by its tail, and pin it to the naked masts, 
Wash our rags in the bones of blue,
And swallow the coal-bred depression 
Foaming in the dreams of the altar-less monks
Who fought so long for the nothingness we call our own.

No, no. The sky doesn’t laugh anymore, 
And for that I am glad. 
I fear a laugh would shatter our delicate state of 
Piecemeal rebellion and earthy resentment;
I fear a laugh would undermine our alloyed sanctity,
And know too well how the stars became diseased 
All lonely in the closed mouth of day;
And I fear a laugh would break the cold solidity we cling to,
Mollusc-like and babe-handed.
Though to break,
Could be a fine thing this undying night. 

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It's been nearly a year since my last, so thought I'd finish this piece which I started quite some time ago and left. The brilliant picture is called "element of the sea" by Vadim Trunov, who has many great pictures here: http://www.outdoor-photos.com/photographer/273965/. (copyright subsists in him). 

40 comments:

  1. :) it was about time to hear about you again :). and you still haven't lost any of your exquisite touch!
    all the best in the year to come,
    Lilly :)

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  2. Really beautiful images throughout... I love it. Happy New Year!

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  3. I was so pleased to see you posting. This poem is epic in scope and absolutely stunning in language and imagery. Too many fantastic lines to repeat. The underlying message is portentous and rings authentically, in the dark times we seem to be living in. You write so brilliantly, I do hope to read more of your work in 2013. We missed you!!!!!

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  4. what a timing to make a comeback.and that first stanza was simply awesome.esp the last three lines o stanza 1.brilliant.the image of big ben returned me to london, which i guess adds up with discoloured empire.lovely close as well.have a happy new year.

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  5. Do my eyes effing deceive me! I have long since given up hope - thought you'd lawyered up and moved on from things poetical. Now let me pick up my jaw and go and read your poem.

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  6. Ah, now you've made me cry... Brilliance will do that to me. Your vision of a dystopian present wherein man reaps a bitter harvest of lassitude and failure is singularly awe-inspiring, and you know how to combine words and images like no other. Though I'm tempted to list all the bits I love, I shall not for fear of leaving out others equally amazing.

    Cheers, Sam. I'll wait another year for your next poem.

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  7. I love "fish-bone thin". But it's that third stanza that I think is brilliant. The sharp and poetic way you describe the Earth, the birds, and the moon is just top drawer stuff.

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  8. The Earth has forgotten us. It lives on its knees,
    Feral and drugged, suspicious of our hands,
    And the birds are nestless,
    They fly like rocks...dang, that whole stanza just rips...actually the whole thing...great to see you pop into my reader again...smiles....

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    Replies
    1. that rocks....said it in december and will say it again...smiles...well worth the re-read....same stanza...the earth forgotten us one...and the sky laughing one....whip

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  9. (stands and applauds). Truly brill work here. There are too many gorgeously sour images for my sick little brain to handle, so I will refrain from cutting and pasting my favorites (because it would pretty much be the whole dman thing).

    What I appreciate most about this piece is the tone and feel of it. It sparked an oily sputtering animation in my mind (nestless birds like rocks!!). I liken this to a gateway poem: wherein it has created a space and motion in my mind that live on and drive my pen to other ends. Beautiful work and viva la....

    also, hope to see more posts from you before 2014!

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  10. I have waited a long time for your next post~ I need to re-read this again but I must say this rips and sweeps me full force ~ That last stanza resonated with me, happy, sad, realistic, accepting, hopeful --

    Wishing you Happy New Year ~

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  11. Incredible writing and well worth the wait.

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  12. Poetry ~

    “Remember, remember, this is now, and now, and now. Live it, feel it, cling to it. I want to become acutely aware of all I’ve taken for granted.” ~ Sylvia Plath

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  13. Brilliant...exquisite...and did I say WOW?

    Happy New Year to you, and hope to see you again soon.

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  14. so beautiful from the amazing photo through the last line!!! May this New Year be one of realized dreams… even those we did not realize we were dreaming!

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  15. Top notch imagery and wonderfully expressive language. Look forward to reading much more

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  16. How have I missed thee...let me count the ways...lol. OT you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice again. I...we...have missed you for sure. Take that the way you want, but it is great to read you again. As the melancholy washes over me, I never forgot how good you were at painting with dried blood and oily rags. If the Governor were to commission a work to fill the vacuous void left by false hope and happiness...I am sure he would have paid you handsomely for this. There are some fantastic lines in this and as fantastic as they are, the only work to prop up the genius of the whole piece. Great work my man...lets have breakfast some time...lol.

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  17. you just rip the sky open with your images...
    love it...
    We once feasted on charcoal, rain, and the maimed chime
    Of Big Ben dressed in his best oily philosophy,... so very cool...

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  18. So pleased to read your work again OT--lush writing, every word!

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  19. I don't always get chills when I read poetry, but, wow...awe inspiring, 'chills-worthy' stuff. First-rate piece. A wonderful new year to you :)

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  20. Fabulous writing, heart wrenching, honest... I found myself listening for that laughter.

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  21. This is chill-worthy - very well written - vivid, gorgeous even in devastation - oh poor Earth - thanks. k.

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  22. Yeah baby! It is Great to start the New Year off with some Ostensible Truth . . . As soon as I read the title I knew I was going to like this PO . . .

    Of Big Ben dressed in his best oily philosophy . . NEnsconced in the melodrama of solidity,
    Our discoloured empire draped in the sighs
    Of a collapsing moon that has long since regretted us . . .

    I fear a laugh would shatter our delicate state of
    Piecemeal rebellion and earthy resentment;

    just a few of my highlights!

    Some interesting sparks and under-weave
    support the poetic fireworks
    , as ever

    a treat to read!

    All the best for 2013



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  23. wow, you've got some lines in there... "But folds autumnal and crisp in our palms"..."Though you can’t love in bone, and the hollow beaks" to name only two of my faves. this is marvelous work, I am at a lack of words. outstanding.

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  24. Far too beautiful to stain with an essay. It painfully ebbs and flows as we cling to the threads and allow hope to fade into a wisp. Great to have you back around the place, never the same without you.

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  25. this is just lovely... so much depth... some things are worth waiting for

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  26. Wow and ughhh.
    "Big Ben dressed in his best oily philosophy"
    "Of a collapsing moon that has long since regretted us"
    "And know too well how the stars became diseased "
    So many awesome images of this broken world you paint.

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  27. This poem is very moving and rich with satisfying images. The sky doesn't laugh anymore and the earth has forgotten us.

    We must embrace the tragedy of silence,
    Grab it by its tail, and pin it to the naked masts,
    Wash our rags in the bones of blue,
    And swallow the coal-bred depression
    Foaming in the dreams of the altar-less monks
    Who fought so long for the nothingness we call our own.

    Then...your poem ends with breaking, even the idea of breaking is enough, at the end of a poem, to shatter all that comes before it.

    I think there is hope in your poem.

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  28. This poem is very moving and rich with satisfying images. The sky doesn't laugh anymore and the earth has forgotten us.

    We must embrace the tragedy of silence,
    Grab it by its tail, and pin it to the naked masts,
    Wash our rags in the bones of blue,
    And swallow the coal-bred depression
    Foaming in the dreams of the altar-less monks
    Who fought so long for the nothingness we call our own.

    Then...your poem ends with breaking, even the idea of breaking is enough, at the end of a poem, to shatter all that comes before it.

    I think there is hope in your poem.

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  29. so glad to see a new one from you. and i should say i could quote every line of this as an example of poetic beauty and power. your poetry resonates so deeply in me that it seems i got breathless reading it through..thank you so much~

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  30. The first line really caught my attention.

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  31. That fourth stanza describes the afflictions of the mind so vividly, so well.

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  32. Firstly... I would like to warn you (because you are a friend -- or so I thought) that I am purchasing a ticket to the United Kingdom to KILL YOU for not informing me that you posted a new masterpiece on your blog! HOW DARE YOU exclude me from this exclusive (<--yeah redundant) annual revelry! I am hurt :( But I am willing to forgive you and overlook you grave lapse in judgement if you present us with another in six months. Deal? ... Deal.

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  33. Now that that's out of the way, let's focus on the poem.

    I must be honest and admit that I am disappointed... Disappointed in my reaction to this literary paradigm. I should have been bowled over with joy and adoration but I found myself envying your wording and the masterful descriptions of an exploited and ravished world of the UK. All I could find myself thinking the entire time I read was, "Why couldn't I think of saying that?" And for that I am sorry. I should be a better poetic comrade than that; so let me try:

    There are various ways that human nature or rather human vs. nature could be approached or expressed in poetry -- revisiting the footprints of our past and the tramplings of the present -- but none could ever hope to match the supremacy with which you penned thought and idea. It is truly humbling and exhilarating to scroll parallel markings on a screen, register them in the sequence with which you presented them and feel this galvanizing, orgasmic surge of pleasure as the words plant sensations in your heart. It's the only way I can describe what your writings do to us poor, fragile, pitiable readers who dare attempt to absorb it. And hopefully it helps you better understand why we beg you for an !ENCORE!

    Now I would break down and analyze the ideas, ideals, and elemental aspects of your poem, but that what somehow diminish its awe-inspiring wonderment it has poured into my chest and I want to keep that feeling. You done good, kiddo! You done good.


    P.S. - I want to punch Danny Earl Simmons in the face for that waste of space comment he left. It's like saying 'Hey, I read it.' I hate that crap!

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  34. Absolutely outstanding, you always did rock the literary world! lol Awesome! xoxo

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  35. So happy to read you again OT--I loved this--your imagery and sense of flow is so wonderful. I want to wrap this piece and hold it close taking it out to re-read it when I need inspiration--when I need to be surprised and held in the arms of words--

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  36. How lovely to see you at the pub tonight Sam ~ A gem to read your words again ~

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  37. I've missed your work. I happened to stop by for a fix to start the new year with properly and was so glad to find something fresh and new. Your voice has solidified and your images almost sting as they linger and unfurl slowly revealing their layers. I'm glad to see you still carve your poetry in blood, bone and more.

    I still proudly refer to you as my poetry teacher :-P
    Shen.

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  38. I just added this web site to my favorites. I really enjoy reading your posts. Thanks!
    Hot Air Ballooning Games

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  39. I am rationing out your precious rhyme, rhythm and imagery since you do not post regularly. That was a hypnotic read. Loved it.

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