Summer Solstice 2008

stand at the edge of the known world
at every moment of breath
awoken by the sun & moon
drawn down by the ocean or sky

down into the cloudy wind
helter-skelter of twisted smoke
to sit in the house with a smiling demon
who turns out to be useless & afraid

the cliff top path for you!
the birds for you, the waves,
the morning sun on windows
the other day, the other day

& your perfect innocence is scary
your false perfection is afraid
clock hands whirl you around
the circle of names & numbers

so it goes, so they come & go
years, seasons, addresses, streets
bus stops, centuries, solar returns
solar winds, solar weather, solar power

Saturday 21st of June, 2008
Beau Forrest, dare-devil
died in a bed, sat on a wall
then stepped from the wall into outer space;

Paula & Gary spoke their vows
to the rainy circle, wrists & lives
tied together, for a dance
for a feast, for a song, for a life;

Edith Morningstar Laxley
came forth from Alice & Dan's secret
there was blood, there was joy
there was a new voice on the phone

you fled to the Atlantic
& found yourself on the spot
as it should be in a world
innocent & perfect as this one

the cliff top path for you!
the birds for you, the waves
the morning sun on windows
today, today, today, today

awoken by the sun & moon
drawn down by the ocean or sky
a circumference everywhere, come to ground
at the edge of the known world



Barry Patterson
July 2008