ataraxia
1
in a clearing, just of hours
the one patch hoped for, blue
we go round with a see-through moon
you go with me in a fold map mulched through
the place is water, spirit pointed in clouds
everything stands up from that
truth dips and perches
years fallow to it
there's landing in reflections
at times a stillness rounds
2
valley in the lines to spare
first to mud
then with the gloves, down where time is
nudge adjusting, mote in beam
eyes shielded, blade in hand it rings
one round chipping, one just squiz
with clippers then by gumboot
3
from tuck of creek, sun
climbs out of thicket
patched with weft, to loose limbed ramble,
you go with me by accidents, as if
play of scale confounds
a tendril rise calligraphy
tangle of only up
4
look in
flower, vine lift heads
let lines run to a tune
glance sideways for the edgewise
having once brushed, join the dots
or else it's automatically
conjure for presence a thing half tended
like Mercator's firmament
it's all backyard – tilled, wilted with
what's missing, called as such
5
come into summer
then slash and let it range until the haircut
do always easiest first, go once round blank
thought resistant... nothing to see if you don't look
for headlines, how the kettle calls
we who are deaf to doubt come wonder
fallen through autumn leads on to this
make tracks so you'll have been before
6
roofs are for falling, take your time
the way the twig bends to the breeze
all the definite articles – strange signs
as if I were foreshadowed
the place my pudding unexhausted
knock three times it's yours
all touched and hushed – just leave it
7
even and if not myself
no harm in tending one of those things
you get good at by doing
in the barrow's hands always waiting to hold
destiny bright because it stutters, wants the phrase
it's hard to tell ruins from what's on the way
when we're the fauna in the window
in eyes most meaning – let's go there
amid the green, if stood like stars
in deaths of trees for distance
eternity where we are guessed
nor either is that centre
frogs who come from nothing
are singing just to be
8
this is the place by heart
let things themselves add up
with each round slower, day revolves
wonder of nothing just to be still
sit for the country, landscape dissolves
fences soak into the soil
never saw the big sea coming, never knew the wind
real marvels are all sober waking, everyone knows that
9
more of it letting than dwelt upon
meaning in which to persist
one has to believe in what can be done
day by day till it goes unnoticed so
you won't tell it's time
for everything as it comes grown in
like blade and fire gone to ground
I live in the land imagined
ceremony just goes on
we're sorry and we're glad we're here
constant in kindred, breath of
world else surplus to our now
10
in shoes and socks
the quiet noting, wise to do
or barefoot, have a mind to the breeze
cloud cone of insects – sparks eddy
a forest of rain by stages fallen
there's this someone who wants to kiss me thing
see olive drab, see mulberry tussling
adversity of tractor swipe
at possum's ladder up to night
where possum is long gone
11
see how rain is held to the tip
brushed with that light
and wet dog shake of it
the pick-up round, twigs sticks for fire
and little logs from happenstance
tempted to burn one's seat
(so mark winter's middle)
notice the coming-through-the-fence
in what's to burn the swamphens pile
instinctively for
things spring where they had to be
so quicken build from edges in
till the view's all furniture
ducks won't know what pond I am
12
then somewhere in the afternoon
you bump into the sun, excuse me
it's that way golden, pumpkins patched
clock winding down has whispers yet
one must admit it lights a way
in whim a chase around
prank passing into memory
and not our own so vanish
13
till you ferment
you'll see tail if
trickling top of the hat for a start
heard upstairs like typewriter keys
it's as if one had slipped under the wire
stayed this long while so that a voice took on
I'm so slight it all grows round
some turn to ache and others itch
here I am in flesh
14
one round to tug and then to tend
with hat, for zephyr treetops
arrange the work as to be solved
set about at a certain stage
you're armpits up in
privilege of the day
music concocted air and breath
of all the energy that ever was
that's how we see into beyond
art of everything breaks faith
to bring by the beautiful brink
and with it sink and swim
15
step out to the plan
be in the ever after
there's one more time around for luck
day lifts to mist, grass fades to fern
thud paws – call this the argument
five kinds of bird change tree
in the warmth of long since fires
nothing thing-at-a-time
16
our fault we let the light grow out
I won't remember here
none sweeter than of your own grown tree
a place like this is somewhere
17
and sometimes in it forget who to be
whiff of the way till there
when you can't sleep it's with you
how is there an end at all
when the last moment's yours to inhabit?
(wings, wheels and welcome! Christmases!)
we're the one more truth to tell
it is good to have met in this place
18
morning then, where day's to do
something heavy duty has had snout at by shed
who's not against me's here recalled
let's take them standing in their sap
or when did the unseen arrive?
and how will we be smoke?
dew set in a shaft to catch
chatter piles on like leaves then
bush lemon high, and you reach in
under these diacritics
turn book upside down and see
the moon's touch taken for cloud
this sky's many fronded
get a wash for free
19
proud to have grown a bit of forest
in time that was quite spare
country welcomes where we have been
and eaten alive
indoors ants think rain who'll argue?
illusions amount to civilization
20
one way and another
all who were dreamt plead to
just this glimpse the all-we-have
you feel like living forever
where we go out in the garden
and a reading of the poem at
https://www.facebook.com/523638236/videos/601890754278828/
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