Christina,
              The repetitions seem uneven to me as if there is a missing
stanza, but that could be my ignorance of a particular verse-form.
Some of the images are very haunting, but I stumbled completely on the
sheets -couldn't figure out where they were or what they were doing. They
couldn't be outside or they'd be frozen rigid and not flapping.
Kind regards,
                grasshopper
----- Original Message -----
From: Christina Fletche
Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 11:33 AM
Subject: New sub: Ice




            Ice

            A canal frozen over, so thin a beak could crack the skin.
            Hymns in the background. Always hymns.
            Sheets flip-flap, flip-flap - a beak could crack the skin.

            She stirs like an angel, a smooth figure eight -
            sheets flip-flap, flip-flap - and the mould's chilled,
            green as lost school jumpers.

            She stirs like an angel.  A smooth figure of eight,
            steam rising, cyclamen in brass bowls and the mould's chilled,
            green as lost school jumpers,

            gilled and scaled, flat-tailed and finned. Steam rising,
            cyclamen in brass bowls, and below there's shouting,
            coming up from the street.

            Gilled and scaled, flat-tailed and finned, a bulge
            for the eye that turns out hollow.
            And below there's shouting, coming up from the street,

            a man trawling with a hook on a stick.
            A bulge for the eye that turns out hollow,
            waits to drown in sweetness.

            A man trawling.  With a hook on a stick.
            A canal frozen over - so thin - waits to drown in sweetness.
            Hymns in the background.  Always hymns.







            christina fletcher