Three notes I allowed
aloud to sum the August
beachiness of
herring gull
railway pigeon
otherwise birdless
fishless conjoin -
rust cliff and water world
beneath reflected sky;
that order/disorder/chaos
of iron colony salinity
in all its erosive pungency.
Which instrument to choose
bowed blown plucked
or shell-smash hammered?
One two or three?
which pitch above or below
the shoreline of middle C¿
What time-line to let it linger/
sound?
How hushed or loud?
(One)
Deep deep dotted quaver
Bflat bassooned like a train
a cliff reverb
a call beneath the bay in mezzo forte
average I believe
for the time of year.
(Two)
Higher - filled with summer hope
a dotted crotchet F
to fur the shallows
prick the beach dog ears
ring calcite crusted pipe
and sandstone blunts submerged.
(Three)
Then higher still to haunt:
An A flat dotted minim lashed
to dotted crotchet reaching
reaching under cloud-stretch
to fill kids shadowed sand holes
and sad hearts wanting.
