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Two Poems by Matthew Penson

Matthew Penson is a poet and musician who has worked for many years offshore. He is inspired by mysticism - in particular, Sufism - and Surrealism.



SEA PAYNE'S GREY


I.

Offshore Rig

The sea: pain's grey.

Asking Shell, Our Lady Stella Maris,

why have you given your blue dress away?

 

Next to the diesel tank,

web-spinning here, amongst

rust and putrid matter, is pointless.

 

Rig lizard,

clinging to the engineered tree.

Ten thousand waves: legs sinking.

 

A Tollund down there in the well:

the salamander bull-headed, 

amongst the toric annuli of Sheol.

 

If I could crawl inside a stone,

a red hand would bide with me

in this swell.

 


NORFOLK BROADS

 

Lapwing: Lissajous over Breydon flats,

upon the ocean mat of consciousness. . .

 

to walk beneath the blackthorns,

their fragrance breathes over the reeds,

and to be the rush cutter who holds all this gold in his arms.

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