textfiles/magazines/CROPDUSTER/maryfindlay.txt

MARY FINDLAY'S POEMS
--------------------

Various minimalist poems on various subjects.

The poetess, age unknown, lives in or about Ottawa Ontario Canada.
Mary is represented on this server by her agent ad522@freenet.carleton.ca.
Her agent is the producer of Cropduster, a zine also available on this server.



Steve,

Here is the blurb you requested.

 Re: myself

As a child, I was frequently told that I would "sup sorrow."

Personally, I can't think of a better start for a poet than guaranteed sorrow 
(with time-out for braggadocios).

	3. A Corner

Yesterday, we
worked the light
to paradigm, a
bead furnishing
a corner.

Then darkness
rolled the premises,
           work
           to
           light
           extinguished.
33.

All Fall Up


Fidgets swelling
craws.

Riverwinds
gone to heaven.

All fall up.
4. A Lullaby for Chaos

When chaos
builds and
babies sleep
through riddling
times like these,
could there be
a pause between eternities?
5.A Smile

To close the
tiger's mouth,
put your
feet straight
down;

feet
to
mouth,

mouth
to
feet.

Document
a smile.
7. Celestial Toys

My neighbour sat
in his kitchen, facing
me.

Behind us was a
wall calendar, well-
marked.

Though my neighbour's
days were devoted to
celestial toys, he
kept them in a
golf cart.

So rumor concluded.     Doggo Bags

The crowd
paused, leaving
the route
to him,
to her, and
their lovely
things: doggo
bags and
candy stores.
-
Then darkness
came and
love became
a mound,
jelly to
the touch,
sticky hands
or raisins
34.

For the Giantess

For the giantess (now immobile),
an extended
berth is a
drop from
daily ironing
boards to
her nearby
tooth: majesty,
largely in
its own time.10. Holey Gunk

Wash to bow,
out we pop.

Fronting
squalls-

Grounding
land-

Outside-
pop to squeals,
we audition
gunk to
holey gunk,
beyond bubble lake.

Residence6.Homely Light

The child folded
          green.

Over green,
crisscross;

flip-flops
to homely
   light.

Square to floor
          employed.

To encourage
controversy,
the child paused-
in mischief lay
safety.
23.

I am the Tour

Because the
tour didn't come,
I am the tour-
wheeling the ever-
no-never, not quite.
21.


IS BEANY BACK FROM THE MALL?


Somehow,
this question (carefully printed on an envelope)
deserved
another.

ROLLED OR NOT?

There was a
pause (for vodka)
then INTER STATE (for the envelope).

Correspondence
completed,
the writer
slid the
envelope down
the scarlet
gullet of a
mailbox,
dedicated
to loose ends-
posted INTER (kiss) STATE.


14,000 rather brief poems

First, corners
where there were
no corners.

Then, apples
for Dandy,
plus stories
for the first
100 children
to surround
the house.

The poems?

Ben and I
divvied them.

Fortunately,
we think alike.
27.

1.a.m. in T......


The conjuror's
tale began
when donatives,

L.....s - (3);

E........s - (4);

M......s - (2);

R........s -(5);

appeared on
warm spots,
freed from mice.
20.

LLaP


Behind me,
early shade
left no
flare for
        L
         A
           A
             P
              -
                L
                  A
                    A
                      A
                         P
                           _
Freeze.

River playing ice.

8. Local Galaxies

To transmit,
or not to
transmit-

To come
or to go-

Within our
universe, darkness
has expanded a
lack of address.1.Lunar Exploration

Entail the silver.

Candle my sisters, one
                   by
                   one.

Slide to grace.
13.

News of the Lake

Just past
fingers and ripples,
their shadows
furled ringers-
News of the Lake-
News of the Lake.
28.

O to N


On the golden
way, the afternoon
burns a whisper
for first times,
memories without owners.

To clarify,
I am now
in a hotel
pool, adjacent
to one fence,
and a freeway.

Answer me soon.
Sniffle by sniffle,
merman to merman.

22.

Out the Door


First, your
ringlets bind-
ageing a
dutiful heart.

pause-

Wind and
cold fall home.

Catch-
catch-
can't-
catch-up.

24.

Palaver


Back then,
there was palaver,
and there was marriage.

Not until
no.3 (spouse),
was good news
within her reach.


Pre-Checkout List


3: a.m.

The sweetest
pillow fibers
make strawberry
molars.

5: a.m.

I pour
baby powder
on a
24 hour-
teal blue rug.

7: a.m.

The better
day is
powder.

And of
course, still
accountable,
only to me.17.

Radio-Off

Dim-Dim
Dim-widdy-boom.

radio-off.

0 news
(silent)

My love
and I
are . ------- .
by windows
and a yard.

0 news
(silent)

He is in his room.

Here, a fly
blips our space.

Somewhere, life
goes on.
30.

R. meet R.


Red-bender meet Red-bender-

Is this
a shifty,
faster you?

Back-
time;

red
past
red;

Tomorrow's
sorrows
in yesterday's
bed.
26.

Shall We Shine?

Answer me soon.

In time to
dance Big Bear's
starry, starry babies.

31.


Spell Cow.


To read their history-

Spell cow.
Spell vanity.

Unfortunately, our
editor kills all
3 and six- letter
words.

Can we catch up?

Delete the editor.

Spell cow.
Spell vanity.

18.

THE END?

Did we weep
for our star?

Affirmative.

Obviously,
the little
angel had
just enough
strength
to die on
Sunday School property.

If Grampy's
back forty (empty)
was THE END,
what use was
our angel's calling?
25.

Time by Chance

Bounded
by giants,
by bridges,
by lovers,
by mourning-
an elephant
screams time
by chance.
29.

Time on the Wall

After they
left, shadows
collated silence.

Later, silence
remained an
event: highlighted
by dust to
dust, porcelain
on a wall.

16.

The Top of the Hour

I mean rock-
hard, from oogle-
boogle to cosmic
sink.

Meanwhile,
the lakeshore's
black slick
pitches the
top of the hour.

Gravitas.

At the top
of the hour,
the ice packpacks.
12. Untitled

As usual,
we parted ways.

No mystery there.

His circle
led north,
mine, south.

When the
merger closed
both, something
strolled home.2.Voyage

Beyond the reef
we sunk color.

When azure dropped,
cobalt followed.

Then deep
water darkened
to voyage.

Behind the
outriggers,
a sheeny wake
passed yesterday.
11. Webster

By lamplight,
I observed descent,
a transaction between
voyage and diet.

Voyage;

Wheelings;

Homely meals;

To close, I
will sign: webster's

big night, secund.9. What Moved the Stone

Between the
stone and
the milk,
is a
hiatus: ten
million years,
less than
my dates,
more than
my debits.

As archival
neighbours,
we include
everything.15.

When Shadows Fall

You asked about
our body politic,
taxable Princess,
Elsewhere.

Elsewhere. This
isn't called
the punishment
capital, for
nothing.

After, happily
ever after,
restrictions
apply.
32.

A Whisper for First Times

What did
I hear when
I closed
the hotel door?

A whisper
for first times-
irretrievable
experience,
lost without
amendment.