Winter 2005

 


WINTER 2005


Michael Baron
READING THE MAP WITHOUT A STOP

In how many other cities
full or not swarming or
otherwise with dreams
nightmares of loss and exile
where backyard barking dogs
rattle the blinds of sleep
have I red-eyed and angry
opened maps at breakfast

have laid out the city
between cup and saucer
spilt coffee over street fights
firing squad fortress church
a hundred years not of
solitude but operas of death
and maidens

over districts roaring motorways
outlines of multi storey blocks
and fingers sticky with what might be
bastard marmalade trace where
'O' o'd on HOTEL COLON and one
machine gun scanned the Square
down to the Telephone Exchange

a sector of three inches is almost
all of any homage here to Catalonia man
needs to do but on a rainy day
the Museo (grid CD A3) floor two
a plaster bunker rifle Maxim gun
red flag torn uniform bandolier
makes children pause question
grandpa's memories -- 'que es eso ?'
trace the five starred restaurant
I¹m to dine at and highly praised
the New York Times
for complexities of cuisine aroma
Art Nouveau decor classy
diners the King's been there
heavy silver knives sharp as ice
china linen white I guess
as falls of snow on Guadarrama oh Guadarrama

this index finger tracks East
to find the Casa there in EF C3
and I am free to wipe soft hands clean
of metaphors for blood for tears
I haven't cried for you to close
the map along predestined folds
collapse a city into paper trenches


then going out the Ramblas' hum
the curve of a balcony
intricacy of iron by Gaudi
can knock you back
like a girl's calf in a black stocking



Michael Baron, Loweswater (Cumbria UK) An ageing one-time London lawyer, "periodic raider of T S Eliot's 'inarticulate'." Poems in Envoi,Jewish Quarterly,Other Poetry, and Pitch. Curator of EyeLines 2003 -- an exhibition of poems by Cumbrian poets and photographers. Founder of annual Cumbrian Literature Festival 'Words By The Water.' (1-6 March 2005) .Promotes new writing in his adopted county through SLATE writers group.

 

 

Poetrybay seeks fine poetry, reviews, commentary and essays without restriction in form or content, and reserves first electronic copyright to all work published. All rights to published work revert to the author following publication. All Email submissions should be in body of email text.

To submit poems write to:

PO Box 114 
Northport NY 11768
or email us at 
info@poetrybay.com

send comments to info@poetrybay.com

first electronic copyright 2004 poetrybay. 
all rights revert to authors

website comments to dpb@islandguide.com