Armenian Manuscript, fragments. Thick vellum flyleaf (pahpanak). The text is from the Gospel of St Mathew 21: 11-27, 10th century. Asian Collection courtesy of the Wellcome Trust via Wikimedia Commons. [CC-BY-4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)%5D
Calligraphed with ancient ink,
the straitened letters claim release;
fling themselves like Butoh men
Bashed skin to skin, they
slap at you: Make us, Shape us
into that which we are
a scriptured dervish
of our Calligrapher.
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I started writing a convoluted explanation of the metaphors woven into this verse, the themes and how the idea came to me. However, I think it is more interesting for the poem to stand without such buttresses. What do you think? Leave a thought. I’d be interested to read your comments.
The themes of writer and writing and the subject matter of letters and calligraphy may also be found in these poems:
On a meander
Communication
Proper Poetry
Cast them together
A day to fine for words
For more information about Butoh, the avante garde Japanese performance art/ dance form, read here or view these videos .
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Twitter: @BeadedQuill
Facebook: BeadedQuill
Books:
In the Ocean: a year of poetry
Emily’s Poems for Modern Boys
Shining in Brightness: Selected Poems, 1999 – 2012
