Archilochos, Fragment 113, trans by Guy Davenport

 

B(l)ackwash Flash

A deus ex machina   

Out of the clear

Blue skies, a murder

 

Of Herculean proportions

Of Parnassian poison

Penned crows freed

 

Helter-skelter to rescue

A cooped up slew of most

Foully maligned ruffled brooding

 

Birds of a feather

In one darned swell poetic

Swoop together!

 

Unspeakable Progeny

Standing in awe 
Before the naked, 

Silent figures we wonder what 
The ancient artists possessed 

That clothed these statues in 
This transfixing transcendent 

Light which slowly diffused it- 
Self to posterity, 

And yet how it is we 
Ended up straightaway 

Blind, deaf, and yes— 
Dare we utter it?—so 

Stupendously, 
Spellbindingly 

Dumb. 

After Archilochos: Ball-buster

[    ] of that

[    ] [    ] [    ] she

[    ] gave so

[

[

[

[    ] [    ]

[ willingly [then?]

[

[

[    ] [    ] left

[

[

[    ] [    ] me

[

[

[

[ lame?] [    ] a limp

[

[

[    ] [    ] shaft I would

[    ] give my [right?]

[    ] [   ] [    ]

[    ] nut to get

[    ] [    ] [    ] [    ] [    ] it straight

[a way?] back

[

[

[

[    ]  [    ] a [gain?]

Minimalists' Major Plight

Where we retire to 
At night speaks volumes 
Of why 

We write small 
Poems constantly 
In search of all 

Encompassing light.