In The Poetry

This poem is called ‘Flamingo Watching, and it was written at a time when I thought that the ‘subtle’ needed defending, in poetry, I felt that, anything artful or subtle or sophisticated or elaborate or elaborated was suspect. It seems like things had to be rather plain and blunt and straightforward and, and chunky [...]

The name of this poem is ‘The Pieces that Fall to Earth’ and it has something to do with the sublime. The pieces, that are referred to in the poem I actually think, well maybe I should’t give it away, but I think of them as pieces of the dome of heaven.
The Pieces that [...]

The poem I’m going to read is ‘Blandeur’. Blandeur’s a made-up word, I couldn’t find the proper word in English to suggest this condition of sensory relief, edging on sensory deprivation, that I frequently yearn for.
Blandeur
If it please God,
let less happen.
Even out Earth’s
rondure, flatten
Eiger, blanden
the Grand Canyon.
Make valleys
slightly higher,
widen fissures
to arable land,
remand your
terrible glaciers
and [...]

This poem is called ‘Turtle’ and it comes from a period when I was feeling very frustrated and thwarted. And the kind of smashed-up sound and imagery in here is an emblem of the way I was feeling.

Turtle

Who would be a turtle who could help it?
A barely mobile hard roll, a four-oared helmet,
she can [...]