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Best Poems From
ERIC RATCLIFFE
(Aug 8,1918)
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9.
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On Air
Taking to your hands the torpedo blossoms,
the earth-buds and flowers of the dell,
you are the earth's apostrophe, standing free;
the wind's daughter, holding to sky and sea
the miniature eternities of some holy giant
for them to possess in all their hearts' curl.
And when your warm shadow keeps the night away
from your quiet room, for you sitting there,
slowly but mightily, sweet from a century of stars,
god-like and grateful, he will cross your threshold,
leaving his golden breath between your walls
and passing all his bounty up your stairs.
Eric Ratcliffe
Read more: daughter poems, wind poems, sea poems, sky poems, god poems, night poems, flower poems, star poems
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10.
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A Veil is Useful
The Veil, the Veil, efface the Look beneath!
For once the Mufti's Law is fair and right.
So let it be the rule until the night,
That I gaze not on the absence of her Teeth
Eric Ratcliffe
Read more: night poems
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11.
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Advent II
What early earth faith was perpetuated
in states of green, hand on tree bole,
the simple touch of foot upon the ground?
What early child-forms moved the moments
near flower scent, in sunlight or in shadow,
or in the wind-high grasses where love-green
induced some potent auric chlorophyll
invisibly diffused in artery and organ
- conditioning raceguard for children to be born
in villages and cities, inside walls
containing blows and cruelty foreign to a tree
- a leaf faith fading in the crocus memory?
This faith evolved in frosted fenlands
companion to the sky for dead and living
when hosts of pinewood-litter bodies
were resurrected to a parasol of stars
to hunt again the mammoth and the bear
in the moonland of the calling Queen of Heaven.
Eric Ratcliffe
Read more: faith poems, tree poems, green poems, memory poems, flower poems, children poems, child poems, heaven poems, wind poems, sky poems, hunting poems, city poems, star poems
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12.
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Antelope Girl
Your copper hair gew slowly like coral
as rock-light awoke your body to glory
to walk one-hip-high through tropical nights
with eyes slanting wild harmony;
until, splitting the corn beneath the hot stars,
the beast in your long legs quivered
to mate unveiled with the giant heron.
Under the cusps of animal moons,
the brown face of your little fox-teacher
once turned to the white trees curled in vapour
to welcome the yellow daughter-panther
following from the slewed hilltop,
and your sleeping lips learned to lap
as you softly mouthed the low spring water.
But when the noon beaks of your bird companions
tilted through lost sunbeams,
lighting men telling of oak carts,
ripe roads, and cities tall as fear.
you sprang away so quickly,
leaving only a closing river flower
racing in a small silver circle.
Eric Ratcliffe
Read more: teacher poems, animal poems, daughter poems, flower poems, river poems, silver poems, spring poems, hair poems, water poems, fear poems, lost poems, girl poems, light poems, city poems, tree poems, star poems, sleep poems
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