S T A G E O N E

a pulse walks in
slowly unfolding
a torsion, a branch
whirl open
shimmer

a scatter tracK
leaps into scintilla
and minutiae
glitter
in surface calm

co-ordinates
emerging say
a known street corner
intersect, a
hazard purchase
on memory
where air or water
working through
at intervals
is given way

hail-stones ricochet
off steps
of the words
downpour and thrash
off where we
must climb
past the sleeping
wisp of bush -
almost missed –
which out-waits weather
waits to flourish

sudden
phrases flung outwards
half-formed
and blurred
hidden coherences
keyboards
vocabularies,
sensed –unheard -frequencies
as when the orders
hemming speech
hint we know more
or can, or will
than we know

a scattergram
the upheld ciphers
opening over
masses, cities
lit air, pollution
clearing in
windshields
the data and radial
breezes cooling
from high atmosphere
freshening out