Ictus

maybe I could have marked
the extra hour, wound down the year
carved another coil into the rock,
the last glance, the last boom of old intentions
buried under the great green hills, sleeping
demolished like giants, who light
on their toes, waltzes, scores hop-scotch,
smashing open dreamings, loosening
buildings and bridges torn
from moorings, from mattering,
from moth's wings, oil-lanterns
(I will stand here in the road, until
the path opens its beckoning,
until I know where you and I am
going) bright bird callings,
a quorum for the black messenger
and their other names
the flight, a conspiracy, or an unkindness,
finally that constable of ravens,
those borderland officers, whispering
like every other scuffed shoe
laces broken, too many knots make for
powerful magic, meaningful mistakes
(I am still here) burnt and blessed by
a bright light; a moon almost full
a piece of a lonely heart; a hunter's last aim
a last meal, the lasting heat carried
by the monk who held the ember
over mountains, barefoot (in the road)
because he could, because
there was purpose to everything,
even breathing, any light at all
icons sparked, living in the blood,
we saved each of our brethren, spelling in
the foggy edges, like Niépce's earliest effort
surviving, on breadcrumbs like prayers,
shared offerings, asking for grace,
the last stepping stone into the fire,
into the One, unfolding (I am still
here) only as much as we can muster
which is never enough,
greeting the palm of the inverted tree
like contraction cosmogonies, (in the
road) and oh! the radiance.

Reviews

[W.k.kortas]

I see Ed's Chagall, and I raise him the final section of "Howl"--in spite of the "old intentions" which have been "demolished like giants", the "broken laces", the piece is, like Ginsberg's, an affirmation of love and its power. At the end, the narrator states boldly "(I am still here)", and we are left with the breathless exhaltation of "oh! the radiance". What I (and I suspect I share this feeling with others) would give to be able to write like this.

[Emily B]

oh! the radiance

sometimes I just follow ed and kortas around and read what they read . . . I am rarely disappointed. This is an amazing piece of work. One to come back to again and again.

[DavidRyan]

This is beautiful. Your command of description is off the charts. I started reading this and couldn't stop, and I'm glad I didn't. Loved every word, loved the theme, loved everything. Well done, dear. You're definitely one of those writers that has a lot going for them and will be big....I'm glad I knew you when : )

[Ed Hart]

Why am I thinking, Chagall?