"..who said it's possible to become these
things : stone, shelf, step, ravine, flooring.
But not while keeping the heart…”
- Mervyn Taylor, Alma's Advice
Ship up North . in city basement holds till nights
go cold | on television watch he’d drift, restore
his cane path time stalls; a village murder over life
stock stolen.
Top soil > exhaust he learned
why roof rust corrugates. What is wrong with you
so?
Son's borough home could not refuse him old
sun asking if his raggedy head board shakes, yuh
dough still rolling ? fat spouse frumpy in nighty.
Street flood waters racing in one morning almost
swamped his deck | camp ‘n’ base encroachers
weather^skeltered under the kitchen stove, scrap
biding. What is wrong with this so?
*
/ Days that strip islands follow
nights off shore in silhouette rapture. For tenant feet
what freeze brands wait ahead ? thaw to scurry.
Puri, parang! mek^haste to heat
beat for wind shield chipping; wrap caiman plans
to over^stay | one likkle tear . rare^seen display.
South north cross help me! currents
route dog tired^floating stars. Linked so, you
coming or what?
– W.W.
INFINITIVES
In the Fall and Winter, to stay
at home to fast and so enter
the inner room which snakes cannot –
To point to a grey sky empty
of the Sun and yet see there is
the Light allowing us to see
even as our own eyes cloud it –
To glimpse a flake of frost falling
off a leafless branch that but seems
a crystallised finalised bone
of misty dawn’s still skeletons
and to know no difference between
North and South Americas or
hemispheres
……………………………………………………
(from “Readiness” by Brian Chan, 2013)
FARJOURNEY CARIBBEAN 