Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Lawrence Upton - An impression of artificiality


An impression of artificiality
the sky from Bangor, Gwynedd

An impression of artificiality
as if drawn curtains were suspended, but
ineptly. Maybe some hooks have failed since.
A skull of fabric from torn radiance
behind blinding emptiness, full of itself,
leaving the broad meander sinuous
going nowhere       crack-clacker of lightning
no sound       no sound       announcing       its great distance
when it does bang                   metal sonority
discarding       lidded light flare      disturbing
claims our getting closer river of depth
a road from a distant part carelessly
scrambling towards the same forms of backed force
darkness; and, also, worse;


                                              a mask surface
is marked with lines which might well be felt tip
with variance and varying pressures
from a giant's hand       a river widening
towards an estuary that's beyond reach.

Poor light gets in at drooping parts, firmly,
where they hang low, though the material is penetrated.

Poor light getting worse. Close-patterned surface
quick-crossed by lines which might well be felt tips
at variance and varying pressures
from a giant's hand. River widening more
towards an estuary that's never been reached
bare fabric torn across radiance behind
blinding emptiness   leaving broad meander
sinuously going nowhere to crack
clatter of sharp lightning   no sound  no sound 
announcing its great distance    becoming sonority
discarding more light flurries   of discordance
dustbin lid     road from a distance carelessly
scrawling towards the same focus  backing it gloom
no traffic    just jaunty whiteness darkening
mango flowering bright into northerly gloom
for our brief excitement; and drawn quickly,
the inhabitants withdrawn    more quickly
gone before they're sketched from the vacated
territory on flimsiness   and other lines
which add no sense to the map   meaningless angles
over the top as it begins to fold,
no traffic    just jaunty whiteness dainties
mango flower bright into northerly gloom
drawn quickly, the inhabitants withdrawn
even more quickly gone before they're sketched
a vacated territory on flimsiness;
other lines, which add no topography
crash at functionless angles over its top
as it begins to fold, badly folding.

Copyright (c) Lawrence Upton 2018




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