Sunday 7 February 2016

Much Like Living by Robert Ronnow

It was with almost joy
that I watched at my father's
deathbed. His struggle
to let go
of his body and thoughts
was like being at a birth.

But now I'm not so sure.
Now that I'm back
with my life.
Unlike Lear
who will never, never
see his daughter again

I feel the man's presence
in every third thought
as one who went before.
Twice that Spring he said
Rob, I'm dying
but I failed to ask my question

What is it like?
He wouldn't have been able
to say. Not
because he didn't know.
Because it's so
much like living.

*****

Robert Ronnow's most recent poetry collections are New & Selected Poems: 1975-2005 (Barnwood Press, 2007) and Communicating the Bird (Broken Publications, 2012). Visit his web site at www.ronnowpoetry.com

Penguins by Volodymyr Bilyk


ABBBBAABAAABBABAABBABABAAABAAAABBABBAABA
AABBBABAAABAABABAABA

detached cry at the tin bowl:
echo - quells,
inane meek flush appears
: gray glow...
wave hand kindly ,

Maybe
hear some things...

...
be curious enough to ask
if there is a formula.

shed tears
inside out.

"blank stare, wink-wink"

ABBBBAABAAABBABAABBABABAAABAAAABBABBAABA
AABBBABAAABAABABAABA

"off"
(is a line).
in the haze,
tongue claps - offensive.
(Smoke
shimmers.)
sad.

mountains laughing
, sobbing.
listening to
hair rash...

nothing-nothing...
quietly
rains

("squirm, wince, flinch, shudder")

tremendous
shadow falls.
a few touches
here and there...
the roar...:

“What?
“Nothing.”
“Oh, yes. Right.”

ABBBBAABAAABBABAABBABABAAABAAAABBABBAABA
AABBBABAAABAABABAABA

craggy fog
wracks
improbable
squawk wobble.

whatever smells that way...
throes additional sizzle...sigh,

so boring...

ABBBBAABAAABBABAABBABABAAABAAAABBABBAABA
AABBBABAAABAABABAABA

boxing flip-flap
fuzzy cough -
clanging
hops of wight lame
- knee jerks,
m ore like bobs...

Listen to these lost and
useless notions...

ABBBBAABAAABBABAABBABABAAABAAAABBABBAABA
AABBBABAAABAABABAABA

blight,  tight fist,

elbow
groan
(great!)

terrible
wisps and skimps
- puff,

tainted
lips
cheer...

curdle curves cuddle.
sour clatter:
neat vexation.

ABBBBAABAAABBABAABBABABAAABAAAABBABBAABA
AABBBABAAABAABABAABA

table
slowly
tossed
- indecent flight ends with an impact
- broken pieces look like abstract action figures...

what a marvel!

(wind and  breath
get into a fight)

hideous
quake,
eyes toot.

gasp.
back matters.
skews a bit
definite  gust
kicks the cheeks
chin  jigs
with a sound of a hiss.

dung aside
booms.

*****

Volodymyr Bilyk is a writer, translator.
His book of visual poems was recently published in the series This is Visual Poetry (thisisvisualpoetry.com/?p=1151) and another book of asemic short stories CIMESA whiteskybooks.blogspot.com/2013/07/volodymyr-bilyk-cimesa.html was published in White Sky Books, book of poetry Casio's Pay-Off Peyote published by Red Ceilings Press http://redceilings.blogspot.com/2013/11/casios-pay-off-peyote-volodymyr-bilyk.html , visual poetry collection SCOBES published by No Press http://derekbeaulieu.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/new-from-no-press-two-fom-ukraine/, visual poetry collection THINGS published by Unconventional Press issuu.com/unconventionalpress/docs/volodymyr_bilyk_-_things and Laugh Poems (undergroundbooks.storenvy.com/products/8859579-1-ub-book) (Underground books) and Vispo Ay Ai Ay (allofmypantsareblack.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/volodymyr.pdf) published by Blank Space Press.