Larry Eigner

from the sustaining air

fresh air

There is the clarity of a shore
And shadow, mostly, brilliance

summer
the billows of August

When, wandering, I look from my page

I say nothing

when asked

I am, finally, an incompetent, after all
...

#292
in the air the slant snow
the bird rising away
from the wild and bare tree
...

summer and winter
trees
near each other

lengths of time subside
shadows change

towards what sleep may be, dream
the stars

islands of the south

going round
and the sun returns always

the thought of motion, the stir

clearing the horizon

to lie down on the earth

red leaves scattered
as the green comes to light
...

The wind-bell
heard
as song
the wind buffets

hammering nails
in the party wall

some birds absorbed in flight
...

wake up

birch trees
in the wind's web

before what minutes, exposition
of mankind

stony light turned

how much
the number

the vague soon again

what change in the parts
...

varieties of quiet

music gives
the lay of a land

such even as this with
hills everywhere, defined it seems
by the city

other than flat clouds sunk
to the distance

while the sun leaves


a fire run down in
the streets below


and the old mission burned
the colors of the day it

misted too this morning

the cliff-like pediments

some times you've had rain

blank in fog
...

among various hills

parallels

verticals

wires straight light
past
the church, building
the words, gathering traffic through

goods windows

store banks massing
to the side, large

back of you
green grown up the air
crooked the
end of the street
...

how
are things

trees
without leaves till
wrapped cool

a sparrow
on the dwindling snowbank

the interval
of winter

maybe another chirps
...

down there in the street
it's a nice day
I can see the sky

the fire brings headlong
the red truck
hidden somewhere in the sunlight
till now

pigeons on the
curved roof
...

the tree
roots water
the sun winder
trying

years back around
time

up the
direct

altered

far away is ideal

a flat plain
or walls the streets

together and beyond

the air takes
all ways
...

the strength of a wing

a birds hits
the front door

ah glass

and the wind flows

stripped metal

brightness of sun

a change spreads in the air
...

dangerous
diving from the observatory

the mirror of the sea

between the rocks

ugly

churns white

mist

what kinds of fish

glide
...

the air
stirs
in various

parts
what's
going on beyond
December trees

a warm spell

the local
is
the subtle bird

flight
from branch
to road

shadows

big limbs

night
the other side of the globe

among stars

people grow

or cloud

a mile away

the different hungers
...