He moves poorly, aware of potential pain,
merely budging ahead from memory, one arm
roughly limp although still strong, one buttock
lifted a little so that his spine is
like a sunflower in the back garden,
sideways under its own weight and bias.
His walk slows on a slight downhill, obviating
an inadvertency in the shuffle.
It is how it is, he says to himself,
stern with body weakness, wary of kids
and bustling middle-agers; he is scared
of conflict with anyone, seeking discipline,
accepting suffering as part of it
so his concepts fit rightly together.
--
Lawrence Upton
AHRC Creative Research Fellow
Dept of Music
Goldsmiths, University of London
|