dirac Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 Three dancers under music's orders stand held by the touch of silence for a moment posing. Now somewhere the flutes' sound lifts the enchantment. Easily unbound, they begin to move like plants and nod slowly, their three heads like blooms: their tendril hands describe the shapes of air. The slender feet on points of strength such as grass has, gently to divide the strength of stone, make them like gods miraculously borne: Sonia,Tania, Katia, svelte deities who sign to us and whom we may not greet. Theirs is a craft of quiet, they are shades of an old time when you could hear, no riot intervening, intricate and frail rhyme and music; men had leisure to ornament, only for pure pleasure, their utensils and their life; to live an hour or make a knife intent on every jewelled space. This is why they interlace their fragile hands and dance their pace of three before your ordinary face. -- Keith Douglas Link to comment
choriamb Posted October 23, 2016 Share Posted October 23, 2016 It's so lovely to be introduced to a new poet to read: thank you for this, dirac. Link to comment
Quiggin Posted October 25, 2016 Share Posted October 25, 2016 Quote men had leisure to ornament, only for pure pleasure, their utensils and their life; to live an hour or make a knife intent on every jewelled space. Thanks for posting that, I hadn't read Douglas before. Here's a not quite matching poem I just came across by his contemporary Louis MacNeice. Les Sylphides Quote Calyx upon calyx, Canterbury bells in the breeze The flowers on the left mirrored to the flowers on the right And the naked arms above The powdered faces moving Like seaweed in a pool. Now, he thought, we are floating – ageless, oarless – Now there is no separation, from now on You will be wearing white Satin and a red sash Under the waltzing trees. But the music stopped, the dancers took their curtain, The river had come to a lock – a shuffle of programmes – And we cannot continue down Stream unless we are ready To enter the lock and drop. Link to comment
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