photo of Les Bell Leslie Bell's Versicules
A Cup of Poetry, a Crust of Verse
Drawing of Nuthead

  
Earth Tremor

Scintillae: the wave crests
To the islands' base line.
Shaken through fingers, 
Smooth-scoured pebbles' 
Future sand; and strangely shaken 
Ground like jelly		
                 wobbling sideways
As dust streams clear of the grey-streaked summit. 
Sail-sway. Wind-borne, 
Far hulls cluster
On the brief horizon
Between the headlands.
Forested, rugged, the Turkish mountains -
Silver-crested, the turquoise sea-waves
Bring in the breath of offshore breezes
    Over the stones where ghosts foregather
    Under parasols of woven turquoise.
    Ephemeral voices, faces, laughter 
Fear-flash, trembling
    Foam, and faintly the great forefather
    Groans, and twitches his fish-finned mantle .

 


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