Poem 65

Published in The Listener – remember when you got the tv listings and a poem? … this is about the latency period when you realise it’s actually on with someone then have to make that adjustment in yourself and Frankenstein-like build the real details onto the blank sense-ghost that person is to you initially …

( I like whale dreams opening breathing holes … )

It Took The Whole Weekend

It took the whole weekend
to consider you mine
     on Friday night I couldn't imagine your face
all Saturday morning I worked on your body
roughing out the shape linking guess to guess to
   sudden small inspirations
of memory          (your bent broken-looking toes)

when I woke up on Sunday morning your eyes
were where the sun should have been
I seized them
              instantly
              your head took shape

the rest of that day brought the touches
    fingers hair
the way you wind one in the other
different expressions
                        fluttering through the room …

that night I slept deeply
    whale dreams only opening breathing holes
from time to time
it was your voice that woke me early
it was raining
   already I could feel you moving about in the world
I went outside and picked up the end of white string
      wrapped it around three fingers
began to wind and follow
                             wind and follow