Improv - Week 8

"A Four-Light Window"
Agnes Nemes Nagy
from Contemporary World Poetry

I.


the first is a park.
a garden path between bare boughs
path at one side, mass of a yew tree
flecked with winter fruit
the glass beads of art nouveau
and more
more - to what end?

the mark of the square picture
in the garden path, bird's neck path
as it turns, impossible in words
only in the hand's gesture,
and cranes its unwritable bird's head
into dull bushes.

II.
the second is clouded.

III.
the third is of concrete.
i mean a garage roof
(the window sill cuts in two, and below
the vintage-animals invisible
bespoke tarpaulin
retracting light
from varnish & polish & chrome
and the unheard four strokes
resound emptily in their cylinders
with the viscous chill of winter garages)

while outside the burning winter sunlight
and the mix of climates
and the mix of woodpecker overalls
as it cuts over the snow field
and turns the horizon
like a steering wheel,
noon spin through bright meridian.

IV.
the fourth is the sky,
drum-tight, without a line.
rare silence of earth's atmosphere
as it does not write, thick slate
its inextinguishable vapourings.
a few strokes only, broken signals,
broached interpretations,
remnant of prefix, an auspice.

_____________________________________________
Shepherds

I.
the first was named "Tea Lady."
her Arabic roots transplanted
to cold Mid-Western backyards.
wintering beside fireplaces,
children grew playing rag-tag
and sleeping against her soft side.

II.
the second, "Sugar Lady," died six hours later. parvo.

III.
the third, "Monster Man,"
was jovial and tired of being cramped
in pet store cages. freedom pulled
him this way and that, tearing him away
from children's delicate hands.
choking on the collar of life,
ignoring commands
he ran from his superiors
into the arms of river-front land.
a place to happily roam and explore.
with a veternarians's dad, or so they said.
at least it wasn't the farm.

IV.
the fourth is not like the others.
still a herder, but, masked by black
and white plumage. a ninny at heart
with dagger teeth bared to the outside
world only from within
the saftey of her castle.
the "Sweet Lady" who plays catch
with herself, and leaps over rivets
with grown-up children
who stop by only once-in-a-while.