Tag: russell
Poem – Earthquake (By David Russell)
Earthquake What happened? There was a fault. What’s a fault? It’s when one piece of the earth juts above another. Why does that happen? Because the explosion down below Goes on forever. But was that fault anybody’s? It was the earth’s; it’s beyond us. The seething energy-city, ever greedy to accelerate. Did its makers long to sharpen that fault, […]
Read morePoem – Before the Horoscope (By David Russell)
Before the Horoscope Nine planets juggle me on cusps And boil flood-chemistry to speed me. Will blows from Geminian ash, Sinks through quicksilver. Out-sensed, earth and fire are lit; Or fears invert that gaunt imminence Thrust all into the gulf. Beyond sear fuller flames – Tempered, reserved, Approved as solid, then abhorred As dark absorption in one […]
Read morePoem – Nocturne (By David Russell)
Nocturne Small specks at night Made light of all our thoughts Which grew, in wonder, And burned the flesh that knew them And found the first thoughts, the controlled desires, the boxed fires the thrusting shields. And spoke behind the pauses, And thought between the brain-tissues, And swarmed through infinite cells, And crowded out the millions And burned […]
Read morePoem – Disintegration (By David Russell)
Disintegration The bottom fell out And all things gathered, Reverted to their origins In skips, on pavements, Fell to casual hands. But at the pit Of all exhaustion, The bottom of grip’s loss Are seeds and roots Of restoration Which in throbbing cycles Breathe out on pine and belt. The bottom stood solid.
Read morePoem – Underwater Ballet (By David Russell)
Underwater Ballet In the wistful – drowning; All dreamers hold their breath; Floating balloon Rests full in blister world before the land. Slippery between skin and scales, Drawn throbbing from the gilled; Great tuna from crustaceans postulated, Anemones new-boned; Parallel concert writhe Curls double joints. Flippers of androgyny Erected supple Thighs hoisted angular Lungs ultra-blown; Last […]
Read morePoem – Don’t Touch! (By David Russell)
Don’t Touch! “Don’t touch!” they cried; They really meant no harm, Had not intended To make a shaking, Jibbering apoplectic With their nagging. “Don’t touch!”, for their interior décor Indeed was fragile and expensive – Themselves and furniture alike To them untouchable, those self-pariahs. There are no easy stages; Somebody’s lost a memory, Somebody’s taking shocks; The papers […]
Read morePoem – Carnival (By David Russell)
Carnival That peacock opulence, Swarming on strutting grime; That massed ecstasy, squeezing itself, Short-breathed, near suffocation; That sound-abandonment, seeming to plunge To deafness’s peace; Yet keeping those maimed faculties alive, Ever denying their last fulfilment. Maybe it’s only I and it, I, starting in the middle And it, commensurate with my idea Of my own size? Maybe I […]
Read morePoem – Growth Before Buildings (By David Russell)
Growth Before Buildings Wood piles beneath the shallow permanent stone Firm feet upon the yielding bog Let water in – the wood’s grain will prevail through its lines Let water out – white softness will grow to draw things down The foundations could be called organic, So people longed to analyse to scrutinize Trade silver mercury Sweep […]
Read morePoem – The Musician’s Testament (By David Russell)
The Musician’s Testament “Being a living legend is such a precarious livelihood. What a ducking of responsibility!” (John Cale) “Success means being worried about everything else except money” (Johnny Cash) I’m putting down this last eyewitness account leading up to zero hour because all the registers have gone into the red; everything’s going to blow. If I am stopped in […]
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