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The
Terebinth Tree was
sacred to the ancient Persians - a healing tree. Terebinthos, Gordon
Walmsley's fourth poetry collection, explores this symbolism and
takes it further, into poetry. In doing so, his poems range through
conventional form and lyric voice to provocative fragments of intuitive,
disparate images. Haunting insights lie side by side with poems
of social import and stark realism. Walmsley is adept with the multi-faceted
aspects of human endeavour; from world issues to philosophical and
mystical reflection. This is a moving and thought provoking collection
from an accomplished poet.
Gordon
Walmsley, a graduate of Princeton University, is a long time
resident of Copenhagen, Denmark. He has published three poetry
collections; Kinesis, The Oxidised Virgin and The Roses of Pieria.
His work has been translated and published in Latvia, Denmark
and Switzerland. Terebinthos is his first major collection in
English since The Roses of Pieria which was published by Denmark's
esteemed Rhodos Press.
A
Poem from
Terebinthos
by GORDON WALMSLEY
Breakings
Roots
and rocks
pathing a pond
where the black loon dives
if
she returns
it will be to break open worlds
these mountains enclose
waiting
till the sun swells, filling,
we cross a bridge
into the moss fields
there
we find only sand
and night
sweeping the forest blue
through
the tiniest of windows
trees block a lighthouse
sea eagles know
light
from the island
no longer moves
tree tops
or walls of this room
nor
do doors close as tight
as once they did close
when you swept over the trees at night
calling the diving loon.
©
Copyright Gordon Walmsley, 1999
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