Jeff Harrison


The Recital

Appius told Minutius ah sweet content, where is thy mild abode
Minutius told Calphurnia we ask and ask - thou smilest and art still
Calphurnia told Corbulo loathsome and foul with hideous leprosy
Corbulo told Horatio do never appear but in the dark or night
Horatio told Icilius my lost delights, now clean from sight of land
Icilius told Numitorius how many thoughts of what entombéd hopes
Numitorius told Virginia and at thy growing virtues fret their spleen
Icilius told Virginia now the black planet shadowed Arctic snows
Horatio told Virginia the world shall find this miracle in me
Corbulo told Virginia restless through Fortune's mingled scenes I went
Calphurnia told Virginia ruin hath taught me thus to ruminate
Minutius told Virginia some prescience of thee with the blossoms white
Appius told Virginia each hour a day each day a year did seem
Virginia told Appius as white their bark, so white this lady's hours


The Vying

Virginia told Appius shall in the step of secret silence go
Virginia told Minutius unseen, abroad the bruit of her is blown
Numitorius told Calphurnia good as clothed by the grasses of Eden
Horatio told Appius their uniforms glowed a deep purple hue
Appius told Minutius be where thou wilt, thou wilt not harbour here
Minutius told Calphurnia but, Cynthia! should to thee the palm be given
Calphurnia told Corbulo sleep, then, my Lyre, thy tuneful tasks are o'er
Corbulo told Horatio and look upon you with ten thousand eyes
Horatio told Icilius thy handmaids, clad them o'er with purple beams
Icilius told Numitorius thus in the winter stands the lonely tree
Numitorius told Virginia on some frail bark in winter's midnight roar
Icilius told Virginia she fled all ways into the grasses' mesh
Horatio told Virginia who first my Muse did lift out of the flore
Corbulo told Virginia fierce night-shade berries purple on their stems
Calphurnia told Virginia old Cynthia, the lamp of our retreats
Minutius told Virginia where art thou? thou so often seen on high
Appius told Virginia that thou canst hear, and hearing, hold thy way
Virginia told Appius alas so all things now do hold their peace
Virginia told Corbulo Argos (thour't, Jove, named) needs but Polyphème
Minutius told Icilius or mute as the Memnon stone 'neath the moon
Appius told Minutius as a garden overgrown and hidden



Jeff Harrison had poems in Otoliths issues one, three, four, and five. He has publications from MAG Press, Writers Forum, Persistencia Press, and Furniture Press. He has two e-books at xPress(ed), and one at Blazevox. His poetry has appeared in Sentence: a Journal of Prose Poetics, Moria, Nerve Lantern, Xerography, MiPOesias, NOON: journal of the short poem, Big Bridge, and elsewhere. He has an interview blog with Allen Bramhall called Antic View.

 
 
 
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