The Brighton Poem -third opening

this is the third part of a reflection on a day I took in Brighton last September

The sea all sea 

                        A lit bright prophecy

Proscribes my lasting now

                      Here and past colluding

With innocence long caught

                       now called in contemplation

A constant inquiry prescribed

                        for minds touched unease

Not it's own answer

                        but it's own inquiry

It is in telling 

                        a psalm told belieft

Known from it's being 

                        within the movements name

And being unknown questions

                        the universal kept sense

And present room distraction

                        the talk talks on

And half eaten burgher 

                        with the fascinated cheese

And scenes smooth change

                        and my mind wanders

And eye raked lives 

                         with tales unfathomed now

This tale now turns 

                         discerned upon a quiff

And his fixed eye

                         forever lost in him

The gestures speak covert

                        into an ochre back

About the room people

                       the transient orbit continue

I read my Popper

                       sip this  afterthought  Perry

Easy with the singular

                       behind me the sea

There an open page

                      Tiepolo draws open attention 

While Inigo Jones observes 

                      from his front cover

Up from the sea 

                      down to the sea 

Dyed rust hair laughs 

                     skinny legs in boots

A chattering of unco-ordintaion

                     then a sheltered arm 

Guides into a car park 

                     and into soft shadow

The ochred attention rises 

                     pauses to the quiff

Watched - caresses his arm

                     a question tube formed

A silent rush is 

                     then is not  - so

The eternal moment known 

                     a transitory permission granted

The triple discourse cool

                     the epee at Eton

The queens house Greenwich

                    Tiepolo's washed brush drawings

The passing traffic passes 

                     the manager's curved belly 

James's clean white trousers

                     my unsure knee twinges

The quick text sent

                     the quick text incoming

The smile the noticing

                    the introduction the talk

Is this me - me?

                    out of the hermitage

To become the Priory

                   and amour of cloisters

The sea the bright sea 

                   the flecked band sea

The unsure sea seen 

                   but not known knowing

A chance of remembering

                   being sea flecked seduction

The object of this 

                  the oscillation of pilgrimage

Verify this sea today

                  here the justification is

As Luton church cedes

                 to the other mnarets

As the shard chills 

                 as the wheels scream

As the sun sets 

                a comfortable landscape approaches

                     

Reviews

[Kathy Van Kurin]

Michael Oliver,
What a wonderful poem you have here! From "Prophecy, colluding, contemplation, unease.... The whole poem is set with with your First line: "Sea all sea." So much inner thought, so much introspection...."A constant inquiry for mind's touched unease."On and on it goes like the sea with churning and upheaval.."A silent rush is, then is not." Considerations considered of life and work even politics? And let us not forget the partly finished cheese burger, cell phone and magazine all part of the grande experience! Peaceful ending; "The unsure sea seen but not known knowing. A chance of remembering , being sea flecked seduction.......Luton church cedes to the other minarets . As the shard chills as the wheels scream. As the sun sets a comfortable landscape approaches. Your author's note really was a great note to your background and influence within this as at times it did seem like a beautiful painting....................Thank you for writing this lovely early poem! I felt it deserved full points. blessings kathy