The Number of Silence
I just published this collection of poems
Over many years I have published some 15 poems in literary journals; many others on this substack (formerly, blog). I just decided to self-publish this collection of many poems (with the help of my brother Wally who provided the beautiful cover…).
The paperback – 320 pages – is available for $20: https://www.amazon.com/Number-Silence-Alan-Gilbert/dp/B0DXRFJY43/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0
The kindle edition is currently available for free.
Here are the first seven poems:
burning
Blake
dreamed snow
and voiced a brother
who brought Will
dead at 20
words from the far
tiger in the snows
Blake was a tiger
brought by brother
against forest
across the stripe
of space
constellation
filaments of stars
track cigarettes
across a smoke of sky
the city its own place
under the Southern Cross
under milky
no place
crows caw Orion
babes suck the wanton
milk of Persephone
I can walk across skies
smoking nontasted
I did smoke a pack
gave up 2-S
fainting before draft board
there’s smoke in stories
oralunravel
pomegranate
and if you walk across
will the night sky
still ravish you
with stars?
Myth of Er
steamingPapua
mydashinguncle
anarchist
Pfc
tall
FDR enthusiast
nearPacificfighting
far
“Big Red
fromdeath
tookalanterntothedark latrin e
sawshinyeyesweavingweaving
flippedbackwards into shit
tigersnakes
are
and little Red,” he said
venomous
clamberedbacktohisfellows
“Red, you’re covered in
like c o b r a s
shiverin g
Song
If I lie with you in red
flying through night
if I caress you in blue
surrounded by silvery stars
and roll with you in gold
will shivers go through the village
will you speak to me in a curve of silk
in a gray of whispers
on steel y wings
in the colors of dawn?
sword
Dharamsala, December 2014
Two women in red
another seated
shaved heads
walk up
strike
arms extended
arguments whistling
two women in red
like whips
a third answers
strike with questions
(almost) violence
but no touch
even the Dalai Lama
says
two in red
he may be reborn
strike
a woman
the number of silence
I am the mudslide of your mother said the river
I am where your mother met the road said the ashes
I am what carried, longing and hating said the paintbrush
I stand over said the easel
I am the notes of a voice sd the score
I am the score sd the piano
I am the number sd the IQ test
I am the vanished lap said the hill
I am the vanished star said the north
I am her plain autograph said the wind
I am her words on the page said the words
I am the wrinkles of age said the photograph
I am deafness said the thunder
I am the redelusive number of silence