Index

A

A bird sang in the jaws of night *
A ship in hell marooned *
Adam, because on the mind’s roads *
After all, you are my rather tedious hero *
After the candles had gone out, and those *
After the whey-faced anonymity *
And who are we to argue with our lutes *
At five I wake, rise, rub on the smoking pane *

B

“Bees of old Spanish wine *
Burying friends is not a pomp *
But Life we know, but Life we know *
But who are we to sneer *
“Buy, who’ll buy,” the pedlar sings *

C

Camazotz and Anubis *
Captain Dobbin, having retired from the South Seas *
Chafing on flags of ebony and pearl *
Come in your painted coaches, friends of mine *
Coming out of India with ten thousand a year *
Cook was a captain of the Admiralty *
Country towns, with your willows and squares *

D

Do you give yourself to me utterly *

E

Earth which has known so many passages *

F

Feeling hunger and cold, feeling *
Flowers turned to stone! Not all the botany *

G

Gas flaring on the yellow platform; voices running up and down *
Good roaring pistol-boys, brave lads of gold *
Gutted of station, noise alone *

H

Here in a gulf of golden leaf *

I

I saw Time flowing like the hundred yachts *
If all those tumbling babes of heaven *
I’ll kick your walls to bits, I’ll die scratching a tunnel *
In an old play-house, in an old play *
In and out the countryfolk, the carriages and carnival *
In the apple-country, in the apple-trees *
In the castle of Glubbdubdrib *
In the old play-house, in the watery flare *
In the pans of straw-coned country *
In Undine’s mirror the cutpurse found *

J

Jackey Jackey gallops on a horse like a swallow *

L

Late: a cold smear of sunlight bathes the room *
Leaning against the golden undertow *
Lesbia’s daughter, I shall tell no lie *
Look up! Thou hast a shining Guest *

M

Marduk his jewelled finger flips *
Music, on the air’s edge, rides alone *
My cure of souls, my cage of brutes *
My strings I break, my breast I beat *
My words are the poor footmen of your pride *

N

Nay, ‘tis no Devil’s walk *
No pause! The buried pipes ring out *
No wind of Life may strike within *
North Country, filled with gesturing wood *
Nothing grows on the stone trees *
Now the statues lean over each to each, and sing *

O

O, silent night, dark beach *
Once, at your words, I would have struck to flame *
Once long ago lived a Flea *
Once Mermaids mocked your ships *
Open! It is the moon knocking with fists of air *
Our general was the greatest and bravest of generals *

P

Post-roads that clapped with tympan heels *

R

Ranks of electroplated cubes, dwindling to glitters *
Reading how Marco Polo came *

S

Scaly with poison, bright with flame *
Shall I give you the Bourbon-sugars *
“Shang Ya! I want to be your friend” *
Smoke upon smoke; over the stone lips *
So quiet it was in that high, sun-steeped room *
Softly and humbly to the Gulf of Arabs *
Sometimes she is like sherry, like the sun through a vessel of glass *
Sometimes the god would fold his wings *
Sophie, in shocks of scarlet lace *
Sophie’s my world … my arm must soon or later *
Suddenly to become John Benbow, walking down William Street *

T

Take your great light away, your music end *
“Talbingo River”—as one says of bones *
Ten bottles of Calcavillo … one pot of Honey *
That street washed with violet *
The cock’s far cry *
The King of Cuckooz Contrey *
The old orchard, full of smoking air *
The old Quarry, Sun, with bleeding scales *
The plough that marks on Harley’s field *
The red globes of light, the liquor-green *
The smell of birds’ nests faintly burning *
Then, from the skeletons of trams *
There were strange riders once, came gusting down *
“These are the floating berries of the night *
These black bush-waters, heavy with crusted boughs *
Thief of the moon, thou robber of old delight *
This is really a Complete Life and Works *
This Water, like a sky that no one uses *
Those friends of Lao-Tzu, those wise old men *
Thou moon, like a white Christus hanging *
Time leaves the lovely moment at his back *
Time that is moved by little fidget wheels *
Torches and running fire; the flagstones drip *
Transports of field nerves; a wistful cough *
Two chronometers the captain had *

U

Uncles who burst on childhood, from the East *

V

Venus with rosy-cloven rump *

W

When to those Venusbergs, thy breasts *

Y

You spies that pierce the mind with trenches *
You that we raised *