As promised, here’s some of my favourite previously unpublished experimental writing.  It’s from a collection called The Unfinished Dream, which I submitted for my MA final dissertation.  The collection is structured around the seasonal cycles and the ogham alphabet, so I’ll be posting regular extracts throughout the year at the appropriate times.  And if you’re interested, the book will be out in the spring.  (Yes, it will be bound with my own hair…)                                      

 

U  n  b  o  u  n  d

l  o  o  s  e  –  l  e  a  v  e  s

curling and

s   t   r   e   t   c    h     i      n       g

in   the   sun

Words that write [me]

on birch bark sheets

c a t c h    t h e      w        i       n        d

and     i am               [gone]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before I can begin: to write

to speak

to think

 

this book must be                                                    bound

in [my] skin –

tied

with [my] hair –

laced

to [my] spine –

 

with sinew

nerve

and vein

 

 

I must become:

[the body of] the text

***

 

 

speak    [nobody]             to tell

words

[silenced]

silence

genesis  beginning  tell [at] you

write

speak  to

nobody                                                          speaks

:

silenced                               i

 

end tell write story speak, think speaks

but tell silence genesis to you and write think the end the beginning to the tell

this you speaks [of]

was at silence genesis

at beginning

[word was nobody but silenced]

end story words in

and tell silence

is

nobody

 

am in

 

was beginning   write to think     beginning                                                                            end at silence

genesis

to tell to you [this]           and to the beginning   write

[nobody but]

story words genesis at silence

tell story this word

and end at speak

think to nobody

 

silenced word   beginning  was                                                                   nobody

think beginning                 you story words                              and in genesis beginning word was but silenced

beginning

story words

and you in genesis write speak end silenced am

word                                     nobody

write

the silence          genesis

write beginning

[in silence]          speak

was and am

 

end speak beginning write

to silence

end write speak

am think nobody

wordsilence

end at beginning speak

[but in word to you         this tells]

in genesis

write words                                                        to you

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in the Beginning –

was the Word:

 

[But nobody speaks

 

 

of the Silenced – ]