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February 22, 2005
Perception
How the government of Heaven
Rests this morning in a crow’s mouth
- Donald Revell
The paired cackles, the warming sun, the unappreciated
luxury of birds. Pigeon, Crow, Gull, Hawk, Starling, more
that I do not know the names of. Brown nests appear
in trees still chattering in their winter bareness.
Pt. Atkinson Bald Eagles wheel on updrafts above
the efficient lighthouse.
Depiction scatters
across the undulated rock, words are lost
in the small, winding grooves – the old
questions have nothing to do with
this split granite, it plays the long game
while language goes out with the tide.
I try to look through
the door of description and I see a boy throw
a stick into the waves, a dog leaps and sends
a column of ducks into orderly retreat
around the point.
Posted by Josh at February 22, 2005 07:14 PM
Comments
I'm in!
Just looking at some pictures of St. Atkinson now, wow...
I can see the grooves in the rocks here, in this picture, so I get the literal meaning of this poem after seeing the picture. For a good picture, folks, see:
http://www.pbase.com/jjdorsey57/image/36985417
Wondering if there is any metaphorical meaning in the order of the ducks retreating and the bald eagles (American image?). Almost an Ars Poetica, a goodbye to languages in other countries; or even dialects or registers that disappear, and poetic styles as well.
Reading up on Revell, which will have to be done soon in class, I can see a bit of connection to the imagery and Revell, with the quote. I am not crazy about the "door of description", or the seemingly arbitrary capitalization of the names of birds..is that a device? If I am missing out on something, then let me know.
Posted by: Anthony Scoggins ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.whypop.net/chopshop/nav-commenters.gif)
at February 24, 2005 02:27 PM
I'm not crazy about the title either. In a previous incarnation this poem was full of even more blatant, lame allusions to Blake and Keats. I need a title!!
As far as the birds' names go, that was purely arbitrary, I'm going to make them lower case now, and take out pigeon, because pigeons are lame.
Posted by: josh at February 24, 2005 09:17 PM