Harriet,
I enjoy this, what you have written feels strangely clear about its enigma.
And I feel the overall song and shadow-dance in your poem is reminiscent of Stevie Smith's
work, as well as the growing line-lengths in stanza one (which to me convey rising
panic).
(I hope you wont mind the comparison, opinion on Smith must vary; she's a poet whose
work -- a fair bit of it -- I admire greatly though.)
Thank you
Nicholas
----------------------------
Harriet wrote
>
> What is the bang of the beat?
> What is the bang of the no beat?
> and what sound is the echo of fear
> of the noise of anticipated shots of the gun
> as the syllables perpetrate their artillery shock?
>
> Is it the war of syllables?
> Is it the war of words?
> As the noise of silence
> carries the fear of what will come?
>
> "You have heard the beat of the offshore wind
> "and the thresh of the deep sea rain ....
> "Pull out on the trail again,"
> Or the shots of the word will not hide you.
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