|
EDVARD
MUNCH
1
(The
voyeur has a green stocking-mask
on
his face, and smudged chocolate eyes.
The
landscape is stiff, theatrical, outlined scenery.)
2
A
country-house garden, brassy stars,
a
valley of cottage lights in the scratchy distance.
3
There
are two females on the spring shore.
One
is black, crouched,
her
eyes drained into mourning.
The
other
is
in first-communion white
looking
out at the petalled sea.
There
are rocks on the shore.
4
The
country house is wet
with
Virginia creeper, copper sprigs.
Man
and wife under tree. Fat leaves.
Fertility
or futility?
5
(A
man’s head in a woman’s hair.
Salome
or Madonna,
Medusa
or Sphinx.
The
head a trophy in the woman’s hair.)
6
The
sun-moon reflection is
a
solid column, a pine log. The pine
the
totem of this high-class household
of
incoherent anguish.
7
Sun
sinks. Sky’s gauze
has
been slit with a razor,
terrible
bloody swipes.
8
Infinite
boredom, jealousy, separation,
hollow
cheeks, nausea, panic.
9
But
there is dance, a manic polka
on
the country-house lawn.
A
scarlet woman grinds her belly
into
uncle, ignoring
her
petalled daughter stiff
beside
the stiff grandmother.
Alan
Marshfield
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