Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Poetry Library Southbank Centre - The Poetry Library housing the Arts Council Collection at Southbank Centre

« Previous item
Contents of this issue
Next item »

Fred Voss

print this page

Any Instant the Earth May Open Under Our Feet

The last breath
escapes Christ’s lips
and a million churches rise one equation
and a generation of Japanese are scarred by melting flesh one drop
of rain and the dam
cracks one
drop
of love and a man
is healed
the bubbles
in levels are jumping back and forth the pebble
that starts an avalanche
has just shaken loose the last
threat
from a foreman to a man on a machine who has nothing more
to lose
is starting the revolution the water
has suddenly burst into boil the last
bit of DNA creates
Michelangelo the triggers
of loaded guns are poised on hairs in a flash
of less than an instant Buddha suddenly
knows
it all the hand
that has stroked a wife all these years so tenderly is suddenly
a fist one fist
is raised and suddenly 10 million are the snake
never knows which way it will slither
next a mote
of dust is tipping the scales of justice an apple falls
next to Newton
and the universe is suddenly governed
by reason
where maniacs
walk calmly into schoolgrounds with machine guns and open fire
on children.

 

Page(s) 25-26

Back to top