Aught, no. 10 (2003)


Catherine Daly

I

leave to trace,

edit through.
between hand and and
boundary, limit, possibility
 obvious

only     far from change
with two hands.

immersed within
anxiety, boredom white, pleasant

hey     to make figures
to figure
falls away.

try to fill,
fill background.
no one knows what this looked like.

felt like     close to random but worse

then, closer.

all interstice rock     wind
 astronomy

to only have secrets.
to talk it out aloud alone,

later work.

obsession with search
for water, ice. the world needs pleasure.

to be found. release.
catch and release.

leave no trace.

these prints everywhere.

linocuts.
like, like
solve

field
field with cacti.
field with mountain lion
danger,
full with danger growing and chaparral.
listen.

drive to figure
to populate
to civilization, down, down,
out of the park

dark shapes

background not fear
lack

proportions separate from life.

only close with hands
(but they've added a gap)

close before — making

then,
closer,

too close
can anything be that close?     and obscured
after

action?
polish
dish

out, chance
fortune, the swirl,
no water, sand
all
never

not evoke feeling.
  release
foreground

background
figure
field
arbitrary nature

golden

only opening

 

Betty

Betty with child. They'll call his name "Betty's son," which being interpreted is Betty's son.

If Betty is past the flower of her age, let him do what he will, he doesn't sin let them marry.

I have espoused Betty to one husband, that I may present her to Christ.

Espoused to a man whose name was Mr. Betty; and she was Betty.

If you marry, you haven't sinned; if Betty marries, she hasn't sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh but I spare you.

There is difference between a wife and Betty as a wife. She that is married cares for the things of the world, i.e., how she may please her husband. [As for Betty, no mention.]

 


Author's Note
"New poems based on 'Number Nine' and 'Alma.'  'I' is the ninth letter."


Copyright © 2003, by the author. All rights reserved.
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