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Stephen Ratcliffe

six poems from T O D A Y

5.12

blinding whiteness of sun in edge of cloud above ridge 4 quails landing by seeds on table next to fence

four dimensions out of each one the other a different kind of given present forms the first less by two

breathing in breathing out eyes opening crow calling from fence below window beside yellow and blue bed

edge of sun in line of cloud above shoulder of ridge waves breaking to the left across mouth of channel

5.13

light grey whiteness of fog against invisible ridge three quails landing by seeds on table beside fence

presence of time filtered by light of memory located the objects themselves each other figures in crowd

breathing in breathing out eyes opening shadowed green leaves on branches in window yellow and blue bed

grey whiteness of fog against shoulder of ridge line of 5 pelicans flapping to the right toward horizon

5.14

light grey whiteness of fog against invisible ridge four quails landing by seeds on table next to fence

drawn line passing through light horizon below as close as part volume of water on both sides sometimes

breathing out eyes closed opening motionless green leaves on branch in window below yellow and blue bed

grey whiteness of fog against shoulder of ridge line of 4 pelicans flapping across horizon toward point

5.15

grey whiteness of fog against top of shadowed ridge first quail landing by seeds on table next to fence

following cypress as subject in landscape translate sky color to language of long thin lines left blank

breathing in breathing out eyes closed opening birds chirping on branches in window yellow and blue bed

light grey white fog still against top of ridge line of wave breaking across windblown mouth of channel

5.16

light grey whiteness of fog against invisible ridge two sparrows landing by seeds on table beside fence

blue depth of sky thinking of the other way one called ahead of itself behind it nothing ever something

breathing in breathing out eyes opening motionless green leaves on branch in window yellow and blue bed

grey whiteness of fog against shoulder of ridge white line of wave breaking on sand across from channel

5.17

grey whiteness of fog against still invisible ridge 2 quails landing next to seeds on table below fence

describe a certain grey of something or other visual element two straight lines equal or unequal length

breathing in breathing out eyes closed opening quail calling on bricks below window yellow and blue bed

light grey whiteness of fog against shoulder of ridge line of wave breaking on sand across from channel

Stephen Ratcliffe has has published more than twenty books of poetry, including Some Time (Spuyten Duyvil, 2022), Rocks and More Rocks (Cuneiform 2020), Painting (Chax Press, 2014) and Selected Days (Counterpath, 2012), which won the Poetry Center Book Award. He has also written three books of literary criticism. His ongoing series of six 1,000-page books written in 1,000 consecutive days is available online from Editions Eclipse, and his daily poems and photographs are available at Temporality. Publisher of Avenue B books and Emeritus Professor at Mills College, he has lived in Bolinas California since 1973.
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