Friday, May 22, 2009

If I Had a Heart...


Glasgow West End ~ Pisces Iscariot

From the wet and horizontal air
To the earthbound traffic cold mundane
And with windswept grey celestial flair
The weather beats this city of rain

These sheets of painted glass
In doorways proud lined in review
Opaque the view of souls that pass
Their private lives there to pursue

What artisan did brush strokes measure
Upon these panes in curling chords
Glyphs and hierarchies of hidden treasure
Alchemic codes that transmute my words

To resonate in harmony and ache
With sadness that falls at cobbled feet
And draw the keening in its wake
New sheet glass rising tears to meet

Great gothic leaps of faith sky caught
Whose spires forever upward stack
Cantilever fingers reach in rust-iron wrought
To cross these Styxian waters black

Where ghost ships heading for the firth
Pass rivet-bound and forged in blood
The bottled panes where dead platers curse
While rain ripples tears in river flood

10 comments:

Yodood said...

Run, lest such as inspired such a black hole be your destination.

the walking man said...

I appreciated the rhythm until the last line then found my tongue went wanting for another syllable.

This piece brings to mind...not stylistically but rather in the intent a few pieces by Edgar Guest.

James Higham said...

Nice tone to this one.

Punch said...

Rich
Great gothic leaps of faith sky caught...
Bravo

Candie said...

Finally,3 days I couldn't access to your blog.i managed to read that one yesterday but then I was about to comment,it bugged,anyway.This is really nice,really liked it.

jadedj said...

Very nice. I shall return.

Garth said...

Yodood: someday I will return to live there

Walking man: I had not heard of Edgar Guest before - thanks

Thank you James & Candie

Welcome to Punch and Jadedj

Yodood said...

Is "there" the city of rain or the state of mind it inspired? And why would you?

Garth said...

Yodood: for me, Glasgow is both.

Harlequin said...

thank you for bringing me into the heart of this city...your words and rhythms did this for me...

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