Book Read Free

Rough Breathing

Page 7

by Harry Gilonis


  my foolish

  heart

  for August Kleinzahler

  Wedding Song

  to assay

  radiance, speak

  or sing:

  song falls

  as seeds

  or spores

  and form

  is

  graceful

  for

  what else

  remains?

  – opening

  inward, love

  remains:

  … speak …

  articulate,

  (sing

  of)

  what

  remains:

  when … song

  … the mind …

  hearing …

  clear

  song …

  beginning –

  air

  trace

  grace

  arising

  from figures

  of speech

  – song

  of water

  and time

  illuminating

  all

  eyes

  century’s end ghazal

  frost was, shades were, spectral, grey

  whitish washed buff with black speckles

  sun weakening

  orange-buff, covert

  from a woodbine-tangled, exposed-

  topped lilac, easily missed, a voice

  direct and low, sharp

  wind’s flight through gloom

  frail and thin and gaunt and small

  hunger and fear and wind-beruffled

  after a short pause

  varied, clear-toned, strident

  winter’s marked repetition

  not strictly arranged in verses

  over hardly-darkening ling

  desolate song

  a small alba

  white the moon

  white the wine

  white the light

  white the leaf

  white the rock

  white the bark

  white the stone

  white the dawn

  *

  pond

  the pond

  old pond

  old-pond

  an old pond

  the old pond

  ancient pond

  an ancient pond

  the ancient pond

  ageing pond

  a lonely pond

  the quiet pond

  frog pond

  Afghan ghazal

  wave of the long grass

  as the wind shakes it

  small dance of juniper

  on the brecciated ridge

  on limestone conspicuously abundant

  old shells littering the ground

  jewel-cases under stones

  highly polished and heliciform

  on walls in worm-burrows

  in flood-plain exuviæ and silt

  plethora of their remnants

  hard glossy and polished

  pondering foot of steppes

  think slow and act slower

  ascend in thin light

  perfect and complicated

  unconsidered but not lost

  the connectives not seen

  refer to their tiny skyline

  distance opens up

  o for the principle of hope

  in the diaries of these snails

  sound shanty for bob cobbing

  badcall

  balta

  eagamoll

  eorsa

  fara

  fidra

  fuiary

  gigalum

  guillamon

  huney

  lamba

  luchruban

  mealaster

  mullagrach

  nibon

  noss

  oldany

  oxna

  ristol

  samphrey

  scarba

  soyea

  switha

  texa

  treshnish

  tubhard

  uyea

  uynarey

  vementry

  Three Misreadings of Horatian Odes

  A Misreading of Horace, Odes I. 29

  your heart on ghazis et acrem militiam

  inglorious you stop non before paras

  non horribilique as of money

  trade aggrandisement and loot

  outside ivory gates the economic burning

  through sponso necato faces of the misery

  openly cry on television mani- pulated

  parti-coloured or otherwise

  will neget arduis carrying sagittas

  the tender rivers may see the stars

  and stripes keeping totalitarian swords

  reverti montibus ownership erect

  you we once thought saner

  deaf to the popular flow

  ‘facts’ mutare forsake the Muses

  for shields nobilis books in dust

  A Misreading of Horace, Odes I. 35

  Necessity, Goddess who canst, precedes to arms!

  O wonder present madder conducted

  to our perishable bodies

  ingratiating blandishments of office-seekers

  you to pauper ambit dominate

  preche pretty to our houses

  of barbarorum of tyranni

  et ferox with hard fierce their head

  attributes particularly addressed to the eyes

  incapable of distinctness with a careless flick

  kick over that marching column

  the edifice of society itself vulnerable

  the attribution of an abstraction

  Necessitas Securitas and Pax are leaning on pillars

  the sentient polygon “ad weapon”

  you white Spes et rare Fides

  fraudulent friends veiled cloth

  houses share the suffering

  nor quit ne fall / the state’s tall

  liar an unpoetical word

  like dried shit

  you serve Caesarem

  in we ultimos orbis Britannos

  poets cannot have misinterpreted

  quid in hard refugimus lasts

  venturing on something forbidden

  no piety left untouched

  o utinam is new facts

  hope yet may draw arms

  quit tyranni blunt with excessive use

  A Misreading of Horace, Odes IV. 14

  quae concern of citizens honorum

  afflicted in quotidian affairs

  abstraction taken concrete form in troops

  nuper quid Marte will not tire

  inplacidum foreign nationals et

  arces Alpibus milite on high

  mox grave major (grave)

  through rent clouds your duty

  speaking to you today ruinis

  through language and grammar

  at my request south winds scourge

  the military capability per ignis

  ut barbarorum the perils

  horrendamque et war

  the conflict et extremo metendo

  quo die quo die your country

  those sacrifices are laudemque

  et optatum massive brutality

  imperiis decus this commitment

  Medusque missiles on the

  te rapidus Tigris (Tigris) violence

  necessary dominaeque murderers

  qui terrorism as an attack

  our victory qui remotis.

  You have my shaken armis.

  The pieces are peaceful nation.

  foreign policy (a performance text)

  History [is] the slaughter-bench at which the happiness of peoples, the wisdom of states and the virtue of individuals have been victimised – Hegel

  • We are focussed on Afghanistan. We are making every single effort to avoid civilian casualties. The weaponry that we are using is as targeted as possible. We are very lucky to have the armed services that we do. Nobody was in any doubt. This is a propaganda b
attle. I mean, you’re not dealing with reasonable people; you’re not dealing with people you can negotiate with. Our quarrel is not with the ordinary people. • We are focussed on Afghanistan. We are making every single effort to avoid civilian casualties. The weaponry that we are using is as targeted as possible. We are slaughter-bench lucky to have the armed services that we do. Nobody was in any doubt. This is a propaganda slaughter-bench. I mean, slaughter-bench are not dealing with reasonable people; slaughter-bench are not dealing with people slaughter-bench can negotiate with. Our slaughter-bench is not with the ordinary people. • Slaughter-bench are focussed on Afghanistan. Slaughter-bench are making every single effort to avoid civilian casualties. The slaughter-bench that slaughter-bench are using is as targeted as possible. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench lucky to have the armed services that slaughter-bench do. Nobody was in any doubt. This is a propaganda slaughter-bench. I mean, slaughter-bench not dealing slaughter-bench reasonable people; slaughter-bench are not dealing slaughter-bench people slaughter-bench can negotiate with. Our slaughter-bench is not with the ordinary people. • Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench on Afghanistan. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench every single effort to avoid civilian casualties. The slaughter-bench that slaughter-bench are using is as targeted as slaughter-bench. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench lucky to have the armed services that slaughter-bench do. Nobody was in any doubt. This is a slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. I slaughter-bench, slaughter-bench not dealing slaughter-bench reasonable slaughter-bench; slaughter-bench are not dealing slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench can negotiate with. Our slaughter-bench is not with the ordinary slaughter-bench. • Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench on Afghanistan. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench every slaughter-bench effort to avoid slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. The slaughter-bench that slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench is as targeted as slaughter-bench. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench slaughter-bench to slaughter-bench the armed slaughter-bench that slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. Nobody was in any slaughter-bench. This is a slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. I slaughter-bench, slaughter-bench not slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench; slaughter-bench are not slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench negotiate with. Our slaughter-bench is not with the ordinary slaughter-bench. • Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench slaughter-bench Afghanistan. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench every slaughter-bench effort to slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. The slaughter-bench that slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench is as slaughter-bench as slaughter-bench. Slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench slaughter-bench to slaughter-bench the armed slaughter-bench that slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. Slaughter-bench was in slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. This is a slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. Slaughter-bench slaughter-bench, slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench; slaughter-bench are slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench slaughter-bench with. Slaughter-bench slaughter-bench is slaughter-bench with the slaughter-bench slaughter-bench. • (from, and to, Tony Blair)

  white

  for Robert Ryman

  faded leg

  creamy journey

  colourless travel

  ashen compass

  pallid orbit

  pearly tour

  dull desire

  light enduring

  gleaming long

  lustreless genesis

  opalescent spring

  candid provenance

  immaculate authority

  timeless source

  creamy ending

  snowy rota

  anaemic life

  pearly finish

  pallid clause

  colourless period

  milky model

  lustreless citizen

  blanched pattern

  ageless paradigm

  light subordinate

  fading cóntent

  shiny subject

  bleached pace

  creamy tempo

  faded gauge

  hueless tenor

  decoloured cost

  pale ratio

  pearly rate

  bright nexus

  achromatic yoke

  colourless chain

  milky splice

  dull detail

  anaemic link

  niveous moment

  leucous time

  achromatistous hour

  colourless oddity

  bright ace

  gleaming original

  pearly wafer

  candid docket

  snowy flake

  immaculate card

  creamy pawn

  faded automaton

  pale catspaw

  opalescent gadget

  etiolated chase

  candid implement

  immaculate tool

  clear crust

  pallid cortex

  ashy chassis

  clear jacket

  gleaming stone

  opaline framework

  milky conch

  spotless crust

  candid superstratum

  ashen hull

  pearly bomb

  lustreless pod

  light carapace

  bleached shell

  immaculate trend

  dull fringe

  creamy boundary

  shiny incline

  albescent brink

  colourless bend

  snowy brim

  blanched verge

  toneless quorum

  colourless quantum

  hueless quota

  anaemic tip

  pallid culmination

  unpigmented check

  ashen frontier

  opaline crown

  faded edge

  gleaming margin

  spotless condition

  candid limit

  dull diet

  pale form

  creamy congress

  milky enclosure

  albescent protocol

  snowy summit

  shiny synod

  pearly law

  lactescent convention

  clear watch

  etiolated chronometer

  shiny clock

  creamy assemblage

  light expedient

  pallid assembly

  ashen haunt

  bright ploy

  candid concurrence

  achromatic dodge

  snowy wile

  fading concentration

  bleached ruse

  anaemic device

  pale shift

  opalescent artifice

  opaline resort

  colourless stain

  ashy signature

  blanched initial

  pearly spoil

  niveous feature

  toneless level

  lustreless point

  faded cross

  gleaming blemish

  lactescent scar

  ashen prominence

  pallid distinction

  immaculate smear

  spotless blot

  unpigmented wrinkle

  decoloured scratch

  fading reserve

  etiolated brand

  bleached weal

  shiny score

  milky pitch

  hueless stigma

  opaline trait

  opalescent tarnish

  creamy attribute

  albescent welt

  pale smudge

  anaemic pock

  snowy flaw

  pallid lineament

  light note

  bright mark

  clear spot

  Taliesin

  i.m. Ric Caddel

  conning difference heart

  bright as a pronoun

  no false praise singing

  truthbread-provider

  edging a swift coverlet

  you sing page tutor


  learn to open a curtain

  o vainly coffered stray

  offered honeyed singing

  at some point aired

  call for wine patterned

  ardent more than any

  sing keening core fact

  hateful the seeing

  farewell to Caddel

  caught light and cogent

  son’s shade by kirkgate

  way work husbanded

  and smile late allotted

  poured lettered knowledge

  spoken technical language

  tantamount to birdsong

  caught crux superlative

  while sound mirrored

  words heard collided

  not strong but confident

  home love near a garden

  knack of jewelled movement

  in fresh terms braiding

  last property overthrown

  educate deep internet

  familiar translation kernel

  yes care for emptied nest

  pleasant dust-stook gaffered

  endeavour often violet

  made ginnelled and ganging

  despite chair and committee

  allowed candour conversing

  caught in mountain bracken

  good yarn rattling

  learned truant deserving

  cornered rocked and gunning

  lyric library visitation

  eyesore leviathan leeching

  perfect song in the morning

  reflecting power lying

  rain fall on the igloo

  everyone speaking in red

  prized byte deck burning

  clear light in the kenning

  way after the old Welsh of the Canu Taliesin

 

‹ Prev