Someone comes, out of the distance
form & face
                                clearing
....................................................
That night the town area near the sea.
Dreamt of a girl-child; her life thrown
amongst brutal, absurd people
in a house of ignorance
the cobbled streets, narrow lanes of memory.

2

Descending --
the head framed
by rectangle reflected silver

in the large high window
(opaque glass of door
lit from behind)

& ‘the head’ frontal -- a
face -- mine.

3

A form falling
&
the form of falling --

white sail
in darkness.
..................................
Beatrice -- Beata
Beatrix, Rossetti’s painting
in reproduction

on my wall, while
I slept, detached itself
by its weight

the sound waking me from a dream
white shape falling across
me cutting into the dream

Conscious of it, still screaming out, conscious
of a figure sitting up in bed in
dark screaming out.

4

Lit windows
in a dark frame --

various
boxes of night

........................

Love returns
where I

turn upon word
of night;

dark edge of
building, white wood,
lighted
room.

(1979)