Hi Andrew
Well, neither. &, you know, it isn't a cross word puzzle. neither
maybe.
I suppose couple sitting could be cows. It would be quite interesting
to try that, though I am going to have to internalise that somehow and
then forget it before I can use it. Cows together can be very
affectionate, social – you may well know this better than I, the
last cows that I know went from here around 10 years ago and the
fields are storaplebs – and I wonder sometimes if my fellow
electorate would drink so much milk if they saw cows licking the muck
off each other!
I was thinking of human beings. one title rejected was couple on a
sofa; that they take on bovine characteristics should not be taken –
or was not intended to mean – that they are both female
they could be; I have no problem with that; but I was thinking of a
man and a woman.. structure of my brain I suppose. bulls low. not
sure if that word is used. one sees cows more often.
I recall one night, well I have heard it several times, a single cow
coming to the edge of a small height and not seeing the rest of her
herd; so she bellowed for them and it was an extraordinary sound that
I classified as primitive – we were well away from brick buildings
and sterilising machine etc. that was a sound I might have heard 10000
years ago if I could afford the tax on my time machine. It was not
just an average moo
so it's a... whatever the word is... bovine noise. maybe a limited
vocabulary – do you fancy it? – get out of the way – try eating
this stuff – who you looking at?
about covers their needs I think
I call it lowing. I shall check, maybe ask next time I am on my
favourite farm: it'll confirm my oddness for them!
it doesnt take long to reach stasis as a couple if both are so
inclined. I *think old age was introduced by Doug. There's no mention
of age within the poem. (The sick person my friend lives with is not
that old. The person I cared for a little was older than I by 25
years; but she was a bit of a riot when she wasn't being ill. I didn't
think of her as old.
I explained the context to dispute the Swiftian charge. (That seemed
the simplest way although close reading with a better knowledge of
Swift's verse than I have might support Doug; but I would be
surprised.
I have in my memory the story told by a friend of a stay in hospital
mid century when for some reason there was in him somehow an open
wound – maybe dressings were being changed but it sounds rather odd.
Nevertheless, he tells this story of wondering what the dreadful smell
was, who the smelly bastard was, and realising it was him, from within
him. In fact writing that down I see how preposterous it may sound so
take it as a parable. I haven't seen this man since the early 70s so
have no way of clarifying. Doesn't matter. Youths too can be smelly,
make faeces etc. Age emphasises it.
A human couple, a bit static.
Damp gets everywhere. I am interested in it because in mining terms
damp can mean explosive gas. This is not made anything of in the poem.
It's just damp. Everything's damp just now. Well, it is here. Season
of mist and mellow damp.
There could well be explosive farts to come. I haven't written any
yet though. Just the whispering. I am also interested in more than
that kind of explosion – an environment that is dangerous, that can
transform
Best I can do really. I am not good at knowing what I am talking
about in poems
It's a pattern of words, a kind of sculpture, a verbal installation
Maybe it's not very good
on we go
L
----- Original Message -----
From: "Poetryetc: poetry and poetics"
To:
Cc:
Sent:Thu, 29 Nov 2012 18:11:19 +1100
Subject:Re: couple sitting (revised)
Are these bags of cow manure, still damp? Or is it in vernacular,
'two
(old) bags' being ladies of many years? full of 'shit'? I can't
puzzle it
out, Lawrence - sorry.
Andrew
On 28 November 2012 22:59, Patrick McManus wrote:
> L Ah that lowing
> P
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Poetryetc: poetry and poetics
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Lawrence Upton
> Sent: 28 November 2012 11:13
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: couple sitting (revised)
>
>
>
> �
>
> two bags, proud with shit,
>
> left near to each other,
>
> holding themselves in;
>
> neither says much, though
>
> they speak, both; lowly,
>
> silence imposing damp
>
> within each self,
>
> whispering; releasing them
>
> from meaning to mean,signifying
>
> their tightness; lowing
>
--
Andrew
http://hispirits.blogspot.com/
'Undercover of Lightness'
http://walleahpress.com.au/recent-publications.html
'Shikibu Shuffle'
http://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/new-from-aboveground-press-shikibu.html
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