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Monday 26 April 2010

Late


.
File:Rowley, Alberta 017a.jpg

Abandoned street and home, Rowley, Alberta: photo by Kappakapa, 2008



Detained
Returning in dreams
To empty houses
Where no one will ever again be home
In the anterior life




File:Pirttipohja.jpg

Abandoned village of Pirttipohja, Sortavala district, Republic of Karelia: photo by Scaut2002, 2008

5 comments:

STEPHEN RATCLIFFE said...

Tom,

a moment after your "Late," this early view of things today -- "nothing disclosed except / shade" . . . .

4.26

first grey light in sky above blackness
of ridge, silver of planet above branch
in foreground, wave sounding in channel

nothing is disclosed except
shade, figure appears

raised, every point focused,
reference to depicted

silver of sunlight reflected in channel,
cormorants flapping across toward point

Curtis Roberts said...

So compressed, yet vast, coherent and absolute as a thought and image (with the photos and without the photos). I love "Detained/Returning" and "In the anterior life".

“Late” is a perfect title. It completes (and begins) the poem and reminds how important titles are.

TC said...

Steve,

Fortuitous matutinal segue,

nothing is disclosed except
shade,

indeed.



Curtis,

And thank you for being there at the beginning of this. You will have recognized it as part of our conversation.

(What was it the poet said, The collective unconscious is so very lovely, who can say no to it later?)

Curtis Roberts said...

You're welcome and that's a lovely adaptation of the poet's words. Today I’m working in the corner of the collective unconscious where cats, birds and humans converse and old friends (particularly long-time spouses) have lengthy, wordless conversations.

TC said...

Curtis,

Lately I've been thinking corners are the best places for working, and perhaps, for that matter, for everything else.