The Sky Refutes East and West
Here, the horizon lingers.
The open eye, the mouth’s shape.
A hoop, the circle without iris.
Does the screech owl acknowledge latitude and hemisphere?
The Semitic alphabet contained no vowels, thus O
emerged as a consonant with a pupil, morphing into a dotted ring,
and later, with the Greeks, an unembellished circle (which of course
they cracked open and placed at the end). The female lays eggs
on the remnants of earlier meals lining the bottom of her den.
If you listen at night you might hear the purring of a feathered
cat (the Texas screech owl’s call varies from that of its eastern cousins).
The difference between sphere and ball.
To pronounce the Phoenician word for eye, sing the lowest note possible,
then drop two octaves. They usually carry prey back to their nests.
Screech owls are limited to the Americas.
Coincidence and error, the circumference of other.
***
“The Sky Refutes East and West” was first published in Prime Number Magazine, and also appears in my chapbook The Circumference of Other, included in Ides: A Collection of Poetry Chapbooks (Silver Birch Press, 2015). It made its first appearance here in May 2016.
Horizon as an open eye is magical … envisioning the screech owl peering out, anticipating dark approach (the closing of that eye, opening the owl’s opportunities).
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love your poetic insights, S. J.! While I always feel moved to gush over Sir Robert’s masterpieces, sometimes you say what needs saying better than I could hope to do! Thanks for your beautiful participation in our vibrant little poetic community! ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, my thanks to the poetic community – wonderful to have stimulating poems as daily nudges!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do love those little owls!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Owls and linguistics… must be an Okaji Sensei poem! 6 stars out of 5.
LikeLiked by 1 person
But no mention of Star Wars…
LikeLiked by 1 person
In particular, no mention of Nien Nunb… but in the great Japanese tradition of leaving space that thus becomes pregnant with potential (ma) you open up the poem to the potentialities of Nien Nunb-ness! Thus Nunb’s presence is felt in his absence. Your genius continues…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nien Nunb lives in the margins and in the space between letter and thought. Nunb is eternal!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is transporting, Robert. Thank you. It resonates with my experience.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is all I could hope for! Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Marvellous musings
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Derrick.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We have a Tawny Frog-mouth Owl
Disguised like tree bark.
You cannot see him around
You have to listen for his hoot-sound.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We never see the screech owls, but we hear them!
LikeLiked by 1 person
👏🏾👏🏾great blog. Would love if you checked out my page and left comments and likes🙏🏽
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks very much.
LikeLike