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3 sequences from
THE HOUSE OF THE GOLDEN WINDOWS
by THEODORE ENSLIN
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ABENDMUSIK
1
Eyes in memory
turquoise and amber evoke
still sound shot
give over
quiet house she said
mine is not
poor woman
delivering what she had
to this quiet house
an outside quiet
taken as turn
in remove
exultant unto gaiety
quiet
black tree jewel
dumb cold
wake froth glistering
still sound shot
give over
an outside quiet
delivering what she had
poor woman
to this house
wake froth glistering
mine is not
turquoise and amber evoke
eyes in memory
taken as turn
in remove
give over
exultant unto gaiety
quiet
dumb cold
black tree jewel
mine is not
in remove
quiet
mine is not
in remove
is not mine
evoke and amber evoke
home to this quiet
shot sound
still give over
delivering
what she had
poor woman
glistering wake froth
black tree
jewel
turquoise amber
remove is quiet
quiet house
she said
outside
is not mine
turn remove quiet
eyes
evoke
meaning
quiet give over
delivering what she had
in memory
evoke
quiet
exultant unto gaiety
mine is not
she said
quiet
glistering wake froth
jewel black tree
taken as turn
an outside quiet
dumb cold
she had
turquoise and amber
in remove
mine is not
quiet house
still sound
shot
exultant unto gaiety
in memory
poor woman
what she had
2
To some height
climbing from
down from
up
the air around
appearing cloud
length of day
for movement
night concealed
reminiscence
still
creak and latch
fit to imply
safe journey
mountain's distance
appearing air
the cloud around
length for movement
day appearing
night concealed
still
safe journey
distance
up from
down
reminiscence
creak and latch
imply
some height
climbing
appearing length for climbing
concealed still creak
latch fit
safe journey
distance
mountain's appearing air
to imply the length of day
still
distance
cloud concealed
appearing
some height
around climbing
up
to imply distances
creak fit
length latch
safe
distance concealed
appearing cloud
distance
still
mountain
reminiscence
journey
length around
down
from air
around mountain
distance
journey
still
for movement
to some height
climbing from
down to up
3
Eisenach to Lubeck
Bach to Buxtehude
space of benevolence
that walk
as history
not necessary
should be/should not be
the anecdote
or music
this at evensong
level walking
that both were there
respect among
colleagues
Buxtehude to Bach
the anecdote
space of benevolence
the daughter in marriage
politely refused
Lubeck to Eisenach
walk
benevolence a history
should be
the anecdote
respect among colleagues
both were there
at evensong
refused politely
the daughter in marriage
to Eisenach
that walk
as history
colleagues in respect
the anecdote
should be/should not be
this at evensong
level walking
or music
the music of both men
elder as arbiter
struck dumb
as history
the anecdote
stayed three months beyond his leave
as recorded
colleagues in respect
at evensong
married the `stranger maiden'
an own cousin
elder as arbiter
stands dumb
colleagues in respect
the anecdote
walking
as history
should not be
three months beyond his leave
married the `stranger maiden'
as recorded
as history
not necessary
should not be
history
space of benevolence
that anecdote
Eisenach to Lubeck
to Eisenach
level walking
should be respect among colleagues
refused
the daughter in marriage
married the `stranger maiden'
an own cousin
struck dumb
colleagues in respect
both were there
at evensong
4
Before dark
make landfall
that the sightings
take account of reef
current sweeping past
estuary
abrupt turn into the land
light
set to guide those
of land and sea
that home is reached
in shadow
paid chain
anchored
before dark
that warmth come over
sleep folowing
paid chain
anchored
make landfall
before dark
take account of reef
estuary
abrupt turn into the land
set to guide those
of land and sea
light
that home is reached
sleep following
the warmth
make landfall
paid chain
anchored
in shadow
lieu
of land and sea
the lee
out of wind
current sweeping past
estuary
take account of reef
abrupt turn into land
light set
that home is reached
paid chain
anchored
out of wind
before dark
that warmth come over
the lee
out of wind
to guide those
of land and sea
in shadow
reached before dark
following
make landfall
estuary
reef abrupt
turn into land
paid chain
in lieu
of land and sea
following out the wind
sweeping past
turn into the land
abrupt reef
light
that home is reached
set
to guide those of land and sea
before dark
the warmth following
sleep
landfall
paid chain
sightings
take account of reef
sleep
before dark
5
Curve implied
taken from chorus
at inception
af delight
want as being
dear talk costs dear
or bursts
a song a
curve and touch
the nerve in blood
ah lair
the lay
the test of love
salt bite
and fluid blood
high
no more are lost
let loose
let dust
as curve
the rounds away
then night is laid
curve chorus
at inception lair
ah
the lay
from chorus
opposite
to mingle
lay
high blood
the test
of love
salt fluid
bite
caught up and turned
ah
men
destroyers not the
men who moved away
as love loosed them
lost
bite
inception's chorus
burst
dear talk costs dear
the night inlaid
curve rounds away
no more are lost
let dust
the test of love
burst
love loosed
a song a
curve and touch
implied
ah
want as being
ah
the lay
the test of love
dear talk costs dear
the nerve as lair
ah chorus
want
as being
curve
the rounds away
in delight
ah
mingle
ah
men
the night inlaid
inception: June 1987
February 2 - 6, 1988
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MORE THAN SMOKE THIS WATER
plumed evidence
substantial
drop
level
as Herne's Oak lately discovered in alien country
hart's head in tree bound to oak leathern leaf
winter place
evidence water
elsewhere
shafted
dross flotsam upward against branch
shoreward
ice flake
fretted twig plume
drift against oak
Herne's
leaf bound
waters shift
drop evidence
in
level alien country
past oak hart's
shoreward
plume twig
ice flake
alien
lately discovered
substantial
drop
level as Herne's Oak lately discovered
leathern leaf elsewhere shafted dross
winter place shift
flotsam
against branch
in tree bound
waters shift
leaf bound drift past Herne's Oak as lately discovered
leathern elsewhere dross shafted upward against branch
fretted plume
ice flake shoreward
evidence water
waters shift
bound in alien country
plumed lately
discovered alien
flotsam in tree
as hart's head
shift drift
level
leaf bound
*
as
ice flake
Herne's Oak
shoreward
leaf bound
flotsam against branch elsewhere waters shift
upward
drift past oak
drop
substantial
evidence
alien in tree leathern leaf
twig plume dross
hart's head winter shafted
fretted oak
lately shoreward
*
past
past leaf
past
past water
past
past shift
past oak
past leathern leaf
*
Herne's Oak lately discovered bound to winter plume
evidence water elsewhere winter place
level evidence in alien country hart's head in tree
against branch leathern leaf twig plume fretted
shafted
ice flake
elsewhere drift
shoreward
substantial country
lately alien
shafted leaf
as Herne's Oak
lately discovered
in alien country
*
elsewhere
water
dross
elsewhere
elsewhere
flotsam
drop against branch
elsewhere
ice flake
plume
shafted
plumed
leaf
leathern
bound to winter twig
against branch
upward flotsam
ice flake
shoreward flotsam dross shafted as water plume
alien drift past substantial place oak branch
shoreward shift
*
leaf bound branch water country twig place
place fretted place alien leaf
*
against
evidence
against
hart's head
against
tree
against
winter
against
country
against
alien
against
*
bound to drift past water winter oak
twig branch plumed shift leaf evidence elsewhere
ice flake alien shoreward hart's head drop level
lately
against
fretted
plume
substantial water
lately alien
shafted twig
as leathern winter
*
discovered
in oak
discovered
hart's head bound
discovered
alien tree
discovered
discovered
water
discovered
elsewhere
*
ice
drop
ice
level
ice
shoreward
upward
ice
drift ice
past water evidence
ice place
flake drift
past oak
ice
*
oak past place drift shoreward branch shafted twig place
country discovered in alien water leatern leaf bound
evidence as Herne's Oak water substantial elsewhere place
*
plume
water place
plumed branch
place
plume oak
branch twig leaf
plume
hart's head
tree plume
Herne's Oak
place
alien country
place
bound elsewhere
water plume
place plume in tree
*
smoke
inception: December 19, 1988
January 12 - 18, 1989
Bowling Green, Ohio
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SMALL PASTORAL DISPLACED
1
Introit
Our gold
not common
gold as light
in noble frame
the window gold
it catches
from the east
the window's light
is in the west
at morning
from the west
the evening light
is east.
We see it
as an eye's catch
not to possess
we cannot
further than the rainbow
foot that holds the span
an arch
our gold
is common
to the elements
not common gold
as rain
in fire
in earth
in air and water
Symbol Sulfur
and elixir .
2
Idyll
Iris
moon eye
netted
breathless pace
quiet pour
deflected light
sound
far off compass
only stir
3
Intermezzo
So rarely rain
these years
with the sound's
percussive fall
the seethe
a water stopped
along the eves
a quiet house
try evening the measure
that
the house is glad
it might be
as the presence
in the house
is of its measure
gladness.
So rarely
these years
the light's reflection
gild of panes
the morning and the evening
were
the same
of the same day
clearing of storm
clouds's interference
lessens
washed a gold
not common
goodwill
upsprung
the deed
the word
impressive
so rare
fire to seethe
the room's uncommon gold
4
Scherz
Set the branch
say out no way
no saying
turn about
drip water
over fall
an even swaying
let it be a dancer
legs at scissor
bend
how the branch
might fall
come uppance
clear to be
the shadow
still no way.
5
Just as the oars lie hushed above the water
so the water quitted below the lapstrake hull
where shadow flattens wave along the drift
not always memory the surge is on
slips oil the trace a little closer
wake that stirs a hand in tending
balanced that the oars are ready
should a wind arise and break this dream
the landfall shore is raised a bit
to ride the sea and all outriders rigged
the news a bird's cry following
on doom of bell the steadied buoy
above the shoal and sun to rise again
the gilded windows island homestead
stead the house to follow there the drifting.
6
Recitative
Suffer an elixir that the gild is common oh uncommon
gold the window is the best as seen at distance house of
the golden windows wind's eye open to a sweep of air that
dries what is not past the water eye will lighten it
7
Air
Like a bell
a bell
its own likeness
tuned
the metal
felt the stop
the wave
long stopping
ursprach
upsprung
the gold in
lightness
how a bell
is like
it fastens
on the dome of air
down
and farther
down
8
Leading Tones
elixir
common
is uncommon
gild
the window
at a distance
pane of east
or of west
sea mew
calling
over island
once said
unspoken
raise to horizon
time ripened
the bell
at angle
follows wake
in furrow
a loneliness
that sound
of doing
light essence
gold or sulfur
9
Resolution
Let it not
impersonal
flare of lightness
not common
gold as light
the noble frame
of window
gold
caught east and west
morning and evening
of the day
the same
percussive
wavelength
lap of bell
washed a gold
not common
rainbow arch
an arch as rain in fire
earth in water
symbol elixir
gold and sulfur
eye caught
iris moon
silence
hull and drift
steadied buoy to shore
hush of water drip
Let it not
impersonal
let it
not impersonal
light from window
unto window
gild a day
another
as another day.
inception: January 14, 1989
January 25 - 30, 1989
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from The House Of Golden Windows. Copyright 1994 by
Theodore Enslin. Return to Light and Dust Poets.
Light and Dust Mobile Anthology of Poetry.