One metre is one ten-millionth
of the distance from the Equator
to the North Pole through Paris
This is a useful measurement
Then there is the truth of ratios:
a bird’s wingspan to a room,
the opening in the window
it entered through, then lost.
The weight of a pair of hands
trying to free it. There is the lonely
side of dialogue. The pieces
of the map and the ground
covered by your body when you fall.
The cleverness you trail like
a comet. The circus and the flea.
Edson’s ambushed stone to
the size of his mother’s love. Some
giddy slippage, to all the harmonic
points on a line to infinity.
The curved eyeball to the keyhole
of the hostage, then, the walls of
the captive. Lullaby of bedrock
to all it cradles. The hollow
of your hand to what I would fill
it with. The rose and what rose.
There’s writing on both sides
of the paper. The sensation
of speaking in tongues. All those
centred deities of blind voyeurs
to the spectrum of a single note.
The other side of the river to
a fish. Totems and guttered stars.
Death, ash, fire, warmth and smoke.
A forced song of almost someone
in so many breaths, there is also this:
Made flesh: what I take in
from what was said.
this is brilliant amanda... so many great points of reference. there is definitely always writing on both sides of the paper.
ReplyDeleteThere is also this - your words are at times like a the skin of a naked curve: the arc of a hip; a thigh's swift contour; globes of the body.
ReplyDeleteAnd I won't even call you poetry lady.
"The hollow
ReplyDeleteof your hand to what I would fill
it with. The rose and what rose.
There’s writing on both sides
of the paper."
Fascinating! Your soul is the vessel where wonder can flourish. I love how you write, how with beauty you nourish! Keep it up.
~Kaff~
I knew I would find you again. Your words are a golden thread. I have slain a few minotaurs in the interim. You?
ReplyDeleteAnthony!! I'm so happy I can barely type! Me? yes, it has been some interim...
ReplyDeletexox
@Graham, thank you, enjoy Terrigal!
ReplyDelete@Je.. thank you.. and well resisted!
@Kaff, that has to be one of the best messages I've been left..and especially for rhyming! thank you!
I really enjoyed writing this one a lot..
oh & ... happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Mr Maverick, happy birthday to you.. sorry it was a little off key.. I'm still not drinking coffee.. :D
ReplyDeletexx
It's ok. I couldn't really hear you from here. :P
ReplyDeleteMandy...i find these words so comforting.
ReplyDeletethank you for posting your gifted words.
tan xx
Nice work...
ReplyDeletei've always loved your poems. and now, you surprise me again with another illuminating piece.
ReplyDeleteHow can you come with such poem? I am like singing while reading it.
ReplyDeleteGot a a fan here.
really beautiful poem
ReplyDeleteInteresting the way this one measures and weighs itself, with its splendid ending, nice.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful, Amanda. The linkage between sentences: simultaneously resisting outright narrative, outright motif, outright parataxis. A beautiful balancing act.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, congratulations on your inclusion in Adamson's anthology. :)
*waves at TC*
many lines i really like in here, the odd one that doesn't get me. or i get it. or something is not gotten. or something I'VE forgotten...
ReplyDeleteand a beautiful, righteous ending. my faverave lines:
"Lullaby of bedrock
to all it cradles. The hollow
of your hand to what I would fill
it with. The rose and what rose.
There’s writing on both sides
of the paper." and
"
The other side of the river to
a fish. Totems and guttered stars.
Death, ash, fire, warmth and smoke. "
il mat (and you know what THAT means, non?)
The Breath Taking Amanda Joy....
ReplyDeleteYour math is very poetic. Your poetry is very precise.
ReplyDeleteThis is showing your poetry is even better than it was I feel - intense but delicate and balanced as well, something like that. I like this a lot. Richard
ReplyDeleteSo much feeling conveyed through such wonderfully tuned words. This stretches my eye and lifts my heart. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGuillaume
beauty, intelligent and interesting
ReplyDeleteabove all - a great read. to read again and again. and yet, come to it again, to see how one has changed.
cool!:) 浪花一朵朵,海景民宿,海景工作坊,海景民宿,聽濤閣民宿,鹽寮民宿,海景民宿,南山泛舟,慈濟精舍,親水公園,宇宙樂園,南濱公園,石雕博物館,石藝大街,北濱公園,文教基金會,香草健康世界,森林公園,兆豐休閒農場,文史工作室,遊憩區,太魯閣,海景民宿,海景民宿,魚爸的家,聽濤閣民宿,海景民宿,經典海岸,海明蔚民宿,豐廬居,海景民宿,海景民宿,豐興餅舖,曾記麻糬,餅舖,宗泰食品,光復糖廠,柴魚博物館,德利豆乾,傅家茶坊,豐春冰果室,山西烙餅,太監雞,佳興冰果室,剝皮辣椒,鍾家臘肉,彭記擂茶,包心粉圓,葉記香腸,夏都,凱撒,福華,英國茶館,奧地利鄉廚,美食館,義大利麵,無煙燒肉,日本料理,鄉村玫瑰館,鳥福居酒屋,牛排館,徐家啥鍋,南瓜海鮮麵,濃稠香郁,墨魚醬汁,蛋黃麵,卡波,單餅,南歐風情,西餐廳
ReplyDeleteWow.. You write very beautiful poetry. How I wish I'm able to write like you =)
ReplyDeleteAnw, it's a really beautiful poem. Care to check out mine? =)Will appreciate it if u give me some comments. Thanks.
First time to your blog. great!! writings on two sides of the same paper...
ReplyDeletei am visiting your blog for the first time..
ReplyDeletethis was great..i very much enjoyed it...
"...The sensation
ReplyDeleteof speaking in tongues. All those
centred deities of blind voyeurs
to the spectrum of a single note.
The other side of the river to
a fish. Totems and guttered stars.
Death, ash, fire, warmth and smoke."
Brilliant. Youve won a fan. Congratulations! :)
thoroughly enjoyed this one on a particularly thorny thursday...so thanks, for making me stop and look around. www.ryanbuynak.com
ReplyDeletewow, fantastic stuff, Amanda!
ReplyDeletemy fav bits:
'a bird’s wingspan to a room,'
&
'The cleverness you trail like
a comet.'
I love that you've got such a long list of comparisons and avoided redundancies and kept me guessing as to what will come next!
thanks!
ashley
"The other side of the river to a fish." This poem is loaded with pocket water. Wow.
ReplyDeletei love this poem
ReplyDeletei love this poem.
ReplyDeletekeep up the good stuff!:):)
plus, this is my first visit, i so loved it.
haapy writting!:D
Congratulations ... to the Poetry Ranking's
ReplyDeletePOET
OF
THE
YEAR!
Enjoy!
Blessings, Linda
to A special Joy
ReplyDeleteyour every word
a single stroke
of hummingbirds wing
together in flight
they sing
and the hum
becomes a roar
dEj 10.15.07
Congratulations poet of the year!
Congratulations on being named poet of the year on poetry blog rankings.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000310477123&ref=nf
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful, the metaphors flow subterranean, like life under life. Keep writing!
ReplyDeleteKari from b'ham
It's a good morning. Why don't you write more?
ReplyDeletevery cool poem. crafted
ReplyDeletecheck out my blog
it is about random creative experiments that started with a random piece of writing (see the first post)
http://00narayana00.blogspot.com/
Great writing, Amanda. I'm glad I found your site.
ReplyDeleteNicely done
ReplyDeletei don't know why, but this somehow reminds me of sylvia plath. its absolutely beautiful. :)
ReplyDeleteI just found this site, and love it.
ReplyDeleteJust lovely, that is all.
ReplyDeleteDiggin it! Congratulations on such a well supported blog! Keep up the good work, all of your readers appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteSolid. Grand. Perfect.
ReplyDeletei'm quite a fan of the micro-edit myself, but really...
ReplyDeleteHaha always the watcher.
DeleteHaha always the watcher.
Delete