held within pure light

E–D–W–I–N–M–O–R–G–A–N

pErjink barD, Whose brIghtness shiNes,

diMmer nOw; youR aGe An eoN

redEfining scotlanD’s Weeness wIth soNnnets

Mercurial visitOrs, hoRsiemen, starlinGs And chaffiNches,

strangE Dialects tWinned wIth toNgues

froM hOme, woRld lanGuages mAking frieNds;

dEftly benDing Words Into infiNite

forMs, cOnstructions foR holdinG And loviNg,

poEms openeD With happIness, penNing

anagraMs Of youR orGan And hymeN,

sharEd iDeograms Within whIch Nothing

becoMes pOetry: foR nothinG sAys somethiNg,

dEsires worDs Which stain, iNking

Memories, retOuching pResbyterian Grey, reveAling raiNbows,

mEanings transmittedD With tIme’s passiNg –

instaMatics, space-pOems, computeR-greetings, video-boxinG, orAcular techNician –

thosE Dipped straWberries stIll shiNe,

reMembered Over-and-oveR aGain deAth kNots

lifE’s enD: We persIst iN

reMembering – pOems aRe messaGes, trAnsmitting oN-and-on-and-on–

Another mesostic project, Mesostic Interleaved, was commissioned by Edinburgh University Library, and can be viewed here.

two circles

for Lucy

moon-gate

seven circle poems

Springburn Park, Glasgow

A Missing iPhone

after the Gaelic Translations of Alexander Carmichael

from Carmina Gadelica

Na ho I eadh ho ho ill a bhi,

Na ho ibh o ha o ri ho a ro,

No ho hao ri o bho learthag

I lost my lovely iphone

   On Friday just gone

It was no bigger than a kit-kat

   And it was better than a Wii

It fell among the bracken

   And I have not found it yet

I am bored of looking for it

   At the bottom of the hill

I wouldn’t loan it to anyone

   Not even my sister

Or to Big Eck

   Even if he asked, he would not get it

Na ho I eadh ho ho ill a bhi,

Na ho ibh o ha o ri ho a ro,

No ho hao ri o bho learthag

credo

‘not waving but drowning’

   – Stevie Smith

not words but writing

not writing but drawing

not drawing but painting

not painting but breathing

not breathing but thinking

not thinking but dreaming

not dreaming but sleeping

not sleeping but listening

not listening but hearing

not hearing but feeling

not feeling but hurting

not hurting but resting

not resting but changing

not changing but remembering

not remembering but hoping

not hoping but knowing

not knowing but believing

not believing but living

not living but living

Alec Finlay (ed)

not shoes but steps

not steps but snow

not snow but salt

not salt but crystal

not crystal but liquid

not liquid but air

not air but wind

not wind but kites

not kites but stones

not stones but splashes

not splashes but rings

not rings but stars

not stars but diodes

not diodes

Alec Finlay & Pravdo Ivanov

not launched but rigged

not rigged but garlanded

not garland but ribbon

not ribbon but sugarwrack

not sugarwrack but saltlick

not saltlick but sillock

not sillock but lithe

not lithe

Jen Hadfield & Alec Finlay

not me but you

not you but hmmm

not hmmm but uh-hu

not uh-hu but ha-ha

not ha-ha but but

not but but not

not not

Alec Finlay & Zuzana Hruskova

not known but unknown

not unknown but known knowns

not known knowns but unknown knowns

not unknown knowns but knowns we know

not knowns we know but knowns we know that we know

not knowns we know that we know but unknowns

not unknowns but knowns

not knowns

Alec Finlay & Donald Rumsfeld

This form can be played by two people, or a group, as a game; declaring a winner is a matter of tact.

Some of these poems were first published in 2HB, published by CCA (Glasgow).

finding (for Judo)

      












finding

the right

shampoo

that fits

you

and no more

tears

finding a haircut

that suits you

or a wig

finding something

to wear

that goes

finding a view

that you can cling to

then opening the window

finding a journey

to make

and the right map

finding a pair of sticks

that fit your stride

and a walk

finding how not to

contradict the path

and end up with sore legs

finding the healing

that heals you

and a good doctor

finding a flat

with space enough for

company and solitude

finding a tea

the best cup

deserves

finding a hill

that’s fine in sunshine

or wrapped in mist

finding a chocolate

so good

you eat only a little

finding an answer

so wrong

you rewrite the question

finding a coat

that fits you so well

you long for winter

finding a spring

near the shore

dabbling against the breakers

finding that if the heart

is a valve

then the heart's also a bell

finding a language

in which you feel

at home

finding a life

that fulfils you

and a death too

for Judo
9.IX.1962 – 3.X.2012

Ken Cockburn & Alec Finlay

Killin

composed 2010

performed 13 October 2012