In The Poetry

I began writing what has come to be called War Music in 1959. In the decades that followed, me often not looking at the work for two or three years at a time, I added Pax, GBH, Kings and The Husbands moving about inside translations of The Iliad on which War Music is based. All Day Permanent Red which, narratively speaking follows The Husbands, was written between 2000 and 2002 and is the first part of a section which will lead to Hector’s victory over Greece and the attempt by the Greek heroes to persuade Achilles to re-enter the fighting.

Impacted battle. Dust above a herd.
Hands wielding broken spearpoles rise through ice-hot twilight
flecked with points.
And where you end and where the dust begins
Or if it is the dust or men that move
And whether they are Greek or Trojan, well
Only this much is certain: when a lull comes – they do -
You hear the whole ridge coughing.

‘There’s Bubblegum!’ ‘He’s out to make his name!’
‘He’s charging us!’ ‘He’s prancing!’ ‘Get that leap!’
THOCK! THOCK!
‘He’s in the air!’ ‘Bubblegum’s in the air!’ ‘Above the dust!’
‘He’s lying on the sunshine in the air!’ ‘Seeing the Wall!’ ‘The
arrows keep him up!’
THOCK! THOCK!
‘Ol

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