Martin Booth
she doesn't answer
I pace the shore
to lure her voice
from between the waves
in the forest of shells
pink ones like the lobe
of my thumb
spiral ones like minarets
winkles like stunted warts
I look everywhere
for her voice
the bladderwrack sea fern
kelp and thongweed
bind her voice
no sea-horses
repeat what they have heard
each grain of sand
holds a creature
each pendant of water
thrives with animalculae
they pass on no secrets
they have heard nothing
they don't want to know
in the littoral zones
arch-legged crabs scuttle
they know her message
they know where
inwardly they are away
of which crack and crevice
in which shell
under which limpet
to listen to her
I seek for her voice
calling
her voice
silk as the souls of fishes
delicate as a dogfish's pouch
silent as the rising air
rising
she doesn't answer
between us
much water spoils
endlessly
to lure her voice
from between the waves
in the forest of shells
pink ones like the lobe
of my thumb
spiral ones like minarets
winkles like stunted warts
I look everywhere
for her voice
the bladderwrack sea fern
kelp and thongweed
bind her voice
no sea-horses
repeat what they have heard
each grain of sand
holds a creature
each pendant of water
thrives with animalculae
they pass on no secrets
they have heard nothing
they don't want to know
in the littoral zones
arch-legged crabs scuttle
they know her message
they know where
inwardly they are away
of which crack and crevice
in which shell
under which limpet
to listen to her
I seek for her voice
calling
her voice
silk as the souls of fishes
delicate as a dogfish's pouch
silent as the rising air
rising
she doesn't answer
between us
much water spoils
endlessly
Page(s) 26-27
magazine list
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- Cannon's Mouth, The
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- French Literary Review, The
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- Interpreter's House, The
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- Matter
- Modern Poetry in Translation
- Monkey Kettle
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- Neon Highway
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- North, The
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- Painted, spoken
- Paper, The
- Pen Pusher Magazine
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- Poetry London (1951)
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- Poetry Salzburg Review
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- Private Tutor
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- Quarto
- Rain Dog
- Reach Poetry
- Review, The
- Rialto, The
- Second Aeon
- Seventh Quarry, The
- Shearsman
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- Staple
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