Manifesto: a fragment

[Here's a little extract from my contribution to this forthcoming anthology; just been checking my second set of proofs. I do love this cover.]


Roses underneath her feet.

You think the body’s preservation is another act of faith —

The earth’s core’s origins are obscure, molten — only accessed by a cipher: the twist of graphite
into itself.

It’s a question of paring down: for smaller and smaller, for lesser for poorer; until the original

zero postulates less than itself —

sits devoid, like a black pearl — like a black eye —

‘I like to write between each assignation’

— the trudge of murder cases cakes your boots —

I start to wonder, do you think I’m looking old? It scratches away,

the patina of letters — ascribing

something to the sheet — and when you first hit gold, you bleed —

and when you break the pool of your skin, you weep —

a space drill —
the toughness of thin lines —
the axis of its charm kicks in —
the spinning weight between us —
like a glass lift, very bright —

and like the making of a name —

there is a danger in drawing — in drawing attention —
the aliens are out there.

These four walls allow the shields to fall to the dimensions of the page.