Sublime

The boy walked all day, went miles and miles, rather than own himself beaten and come home to her empty-handed. She never realised this, whilst he was young. She was a woman who waited for her children to grow up. And William occupied her chiefly.

The trouble was, I had been inadequate all along, I simply hadn’t thought about it.

The Harivansa says, “An abode without birds is like a meat without seasoning.” Such was not my abode, for I found myself suddenly neighbor to the birds; not by having imprisoned one, but having caged myself near them.

STRANGER’S CHILD Sparrow in the cobbled street, Little sparrow round and sweet, Chaucer’s bird— or if a leaf Sparkle among leaves, among the season’s Leaves— The sparrow’s feet, Feet of the sparrow’s child touch Naked rock.

Now they have beaten me, he thought. I am too old to club sharks to death. But I will try it as long as I have the oars and the short club and the tiller.

yet nought avail'd His gold to save him from the doom of death;

Perched on the roof’s TV antenna, a single pigeon lent its monotonous cries to the scene.

I am superterrestrial, he thought, and passed untouched through crowds on Aldleigh High Street with the waters of his body drawn up by the moon with the tides.