Douglas Poole

NEW ZEALAND

doug@visual.co.nz 

I LOVE YOU, SEE
Son, I watch you
engrave the shoreline
with compassion:
"I Love you, sea and fishes".
Daughter, I watch you
cradle in your arms
mortality:
this driftwood bird,
with tears,
rest it at your feet.
Son, I watch you
shout at the wind
without fear,
charging the air with wordsong.
(Dedicated to my children Jarah, Waipapa and Parone-Vincent)
Gardenia
Planting
Hawaiian Hibiscus
Radican Gardenia
Sister Edwina
was right
We were going to plant
Hibiscus in the middle
of your garden
We planted mistakenly
Gardenia
"It's where
She wanted it,
is supposed
to be there,
leave it"

When the Gardenia flowers
with the hibiscus
How the convexed
Sky Blue
Opens up
Sun showers
in the middle
afternoon
Come down
apon my skin
like a dry
Hungry Desert
Cracks up
water veins

Hibiscus Trumpet blooms
wailing old stories
true
some superstition
some dreamweaving too
of the old people
the Island
Tualele
Our village
I know you have
gone home
to the garden of eden
Where the Gardenia
Hibiscus, bloom

at sunset you run from tree to tree
the breadfruit, mango, paw paw of
your Mothers garden
stealing fruit
© Douglas Poole Copyright 1999
I burn
Like some strange
astrological sign 
in an ancient sky 
albeit strange to 
the naive, those
worshipping a 
Sun, Moon and Sky
triad.
 
I soar toward it
words widening
a painted horizon
ancient jade
ancient Grey blue
widening my 
ancient brown
eyes
I soar toward it
worlds written
a slaughtered skyline
ancient red
ancient copper gold
I wish to become
part of the 
bloodshed
 
Like some strange
astrological sign
son of water
daughter of fire
some driven mad
dog, loyal to 
his own rabid logic
I burn

(Dedicated to Christina and Stoneking with love 3/7/00.)
Bring the flame 
(dedicated to Christina Conrad)
Toi toi's slash the wind,
of grave echoes soul
echoes sorrow,
this should be
long buried.
Beside my works 
of  pain
you found
memories
lost, embedded.

Blood toils the soil
and flesh burns 
fires on the seaward breeze
Tangaroa lashes the shoreline.
Papatuanuku mourns the separation
from her lover,
her lover still drapes
fogs and rains around her
pulls her close 
within. 

Though far removed by children
torn,
spurned by lovers and haters
ripped,
she burns,
she burns,
this flesh burns
fires on seaward winds
carry you home
bring you home

bring the bloodshed 
bring the pain 
bring the canvas
bring the flame

(With love, Doug Poole 12/6/2000)
handful of flesh 
(Inspired by Christina Conrads Clay Icons)
I feel you in my bones
  hear you in my eyes
I feel you in my soul
  hear you in my tomb, 
 
come in rest, sit with me
 talk to me.
calm this waveshrewn shoreline 
 breathe the ocean breeze
and caress the moonlit grave 
 together we lie side by side
us two, we met before
 on the wave shrewn shore
remember 
 we have spoken before
and i have written you poetry before
 and i have seen your icons, 
you tore hand fulls of her flesh and raised the flame.
 
I feel you in my bones
  hear you in my eyes
I feel you in my soul
  hear you in my tomb. 
 
(with inspiration Doug Poole 17/6/00)

© All Copyright,  Douglas Poole.
All Rights Reserved. Printed By Permission.