THE WATER MAN

 

This is intended both as a poem and a play. 

 

You are your own narrator.

 

The multiple voices are as restless as one's conversation with a city, starting late one night, and can be viewed as a projection of the narrator, or reader. Characters will begin to form, exist momentarily and dissolve. It is in the dissolution that they become one, this is our nature.

 

These multiple voices are also the reader/narrator vocalising of the fears of our society, embodied in the idea of homelessness as the physical sense of not having posessions, and of mental homelessness as the mind not being confined to merely physical interactions. This is representative of an individual and collective unwillingness to deal with 'the unknown'. This manifests as individual 'certainties' and collective 'facts'. The more certain we become of these, the more we see in others our fear of the unknown. Schitzophrenia walks the street in multiple personalities at all hours of the day and night and this is normal.

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'Salvations in the plural' – John Donne

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'Yo! - 'ears of entrampment

I beg thee loiter with entente'

 

 

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I

 

''Them four rained on wind-

in' walls; harvest-

in' space she patiently

Pacin' between 

 

My boxin'

ears till ringing

Record hits;

Cryptine chapel rappeling-

er-in' the'air,

 

You la sees her sees (yeax) again, and again

dancing through them (stills our skins), 

box you whisprin' ears - not sound, but 

gaps in the gaps in the teeth of waves between,

projective barge to and fo'

square up and to the sho'

 

H'ive half a mind (for a while, now)

'to be when?' - (me two myself) -

No-one's ever,

Be-

en theologian,

See why,

Yo!- G.I. 

 

We all 'I see 

you hear me...'

 

II

 

MINISTER NIGHT,

MINISTER DAY,

Your two tribes have gone

Into their separate way...'

 

You: 'What?' 

 

''A good question -

Finding where the time stopt, 

Take it back! Or they'll make you

To move along,

 

Come down the bank with me, a bit and see 

My cabinets – see their maker's house-

'Old name. Branded names 

You understand – Watch the waves with me till dawn 

And keep our fire warm'

 

Watched 

By lapping - what'r them - boxes still

He played on them (our skins) for me with heavy drops

Sapped and spat

'The Weather is our only English God' 

 

'Man, Me 'n' Old man, danced together in the rain

and told of terrible mind. A terrible state of Mind,

As we danced to the clap of 

Waves on hole'

Waves on Hull

 

Great-wall-between-us-and-the-water'

wash up, look down and wave between waves,

be brought outside box

in s'ur-face tense?

 

'You moved'

You: 'how' 

'We can not know...'

 

'Man, first person problems - 

Like what would be if I was them,

feel like not-I, 

conductive current shifts, 

Livin' me through'

 

Delay your night and day dream'

Stream-swims by itself every third second,

Slow yourself... see when we,

Move them too - ''

 

You: 'Don't move'

 

Old man abandoned his textruded shells and

Divin' in said that he'd creatined 

Into the rippling of forms

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III

 

MINISTERS TOTEM & TABOO,

Four wall-time by two

One 'Aye', One Yous?' 

 

'I am their mus-ic

aft the drumming, yous

spring down, all humming in the same,

 

Age old music, steppin' on

down, tell us lil' bit by bit,

ran moonlight off the water-man

​
 

 

''Sirens you! migrations away!  

duty-bound & duty-stay,

current-whirld away.

 

''Nightin'gal you singing siren-state,

'leased to precipitate,

squat-rain form in to''

 

''Let's have a game,''

one said: too other: ''P'leeze – them faces all the same'' 

'What game?'

 

We looks him, shadow - man's'itting down stream,

muttering as we gleam - 'she's all of us you know...'

Over and over, all things-in-to'. 

 

''Allo darlin' - Ole Ben Johnson

leerin' gently to the blue,

mad' 'ee said, leans in and heavy on 'is drink,

'tha one picked up tonight?' 'One clean floozy too,

At the time, I swears she has

Seven heads on the two'

 

'Way to go, low-tone man says with the flo'

Chillin' down through the six lane double true,

Rows and rows them out window & moves me down them blues'

 

You: 'Sing us up some minor keys again,

Lap and find and break again

souled up against their wall,

Ails against the col'

 

Living it up and over || the shop, see the window-

lights winking lil' down || and ov...er-whelmed

She told us, down the bridge || with broken glass, and still

they're coming in, wailing || through the night, my sleep,

Again the sound || gone to song.

 

''Lookin' in the wind-

(Ow) too 'tinged for more,

Again, beat – rain - beat man down,

Again four to the floor''

 

Lets' get them changes out

For the shop man, slow.

''Certain Inconsistencies' says the radio,

'Shopp'ed till me drop me

shadow-bags and bump me into sides'' - day-time-chat-show,

Wake... s'high tide,

 

*

 

We're terrified, and running || back you see, static 

sur-face freeze and let's laugh || away and breeze forlorn,

fine temple of the morn || The tide is weeping, up-on us - 

wash away, my love, || come along and see, 

the pillars standing tall || - once removed, fair to stall.

 

Flowed out from the city || 'nother day of dancing

skins raw in the sun || as we cooled to the clap,

Pitchers o'er brimming || sticking sun, and wind and solvent.

 

Then both saw the lady in || blue and tattered down,

Stood her up for the fire || seen in her health out

front, all years before || movement up-on movement.

Makes me go to liquid || 'fingers, reach me up,

and boy, get stuck in || S'word in stone, re-

member me a-gain || upturn your hands and

let me read aloud || your line, stay still, now'

 

'TOTEM & TABOO - are you hang-in' though?' 

'Cap'n'man – sets out || all binary steer and sonar.' 'Alo?'

'Alo.'

'Zeno who I am?' || 'Yello? Ze-nu'boat 

left half past ago' || You: 'Over flo'

 

ENIGMA CLAYED OF || BONE AND BONE OF CLAY

'Gee, go green jay go! || sighed of old night oh! 

un-dress me, take my || sword and go,

I'll find you in dis || array last night-bird's

Red moon, TOTEM AND || TABOO SHO'

 

You movin'

You: 'by what'

'want to whisper...

you mustn't know...

See the boat-rain from the shore

Fall though, past layer

and Sixteen times

the wind-ward door,'

 

'Keeps themselves down, I do,

Down stairs and still

Swims again,

All-me-loving-you,'

 

*

 

You: Walked on, past our fires up the top,

Old man saying out loud, 'All is not lost'

To the gentle crackle, the gentle slap,

By is'self he baptised the water down

And found her holy ground.

 

You: 'Came down from where, my love? 

Time-streamed out the (one short) down-stream door,

'Fi now dem queenin' man's on different tracks, 

'On the blacks!' under lock and keys, all guild 

birds out and out again, 

 

When was the last time you were in?

A while ago, 'just visit-in', 

See now, till 'ee gets out, again.' 

'we're winnin' 

'where?'

'we just down flow'

 

'Heads you call'

heads you fall

Said the one pacin'

up and down the wall,

Dropped down and sidled up - stared at, man,

me n' old man, suppin' full the water-fall.

 

*

 

'I am the river, we || playin' whirlpool on 

the juke, same old, Fears || play the one again,

You, know the number || ''we marchin' on repeat

feelin old man 'ears ||down night-rain' street,

 

Underneath the lamp-post || by the barrack gate, 

sound a seepin'- under || doors till a 'lil, movement 

goes and flows out, || mind, and still you wait,

See the changes in || by our three-time fates.'

 

'We cravin' a-new || channel; de'ja'see 

her tributary flew || past the last one we

Knew and then the next || She's all yo' Sees,

crew dem vexed || fi tread carefully on...

 

*

 

Wake s'high tide,

Ache, sigh, ride on

Another day begone,

 

Currents-away we electric-harvesting

What got thrown in today? || Tell me telephone machines

Cast away in rage || and dropped in joy,

You're ringing all || The same tune now,

 

You: 'People too' points || out the feet of one,

Fall into line with the || others. 'Last time we 

had a faller, two || hundred meters by one 

'er...self' they fell, || I remembers:

 

'ow did you thinks we got another voice?'

lil' wink and nods off, too herself, frights, 

awakes in waves, terrors playin' dice

and fast, she breathes, dream-swims by her nights.

 

You: ''Dig the line. Yes I do

Dream the ripe fruit of our labo'

Double-downed me at the side,

Took me for a ride,

 

Sat me down and told me,

What? he'd like to do to me

As we drove past familiar theatres,

In your dreams.'' He flatly says, looking 

out of the corner of his eye, whilst looking 

straight ahead.

 

'Puts pearl on your tounge, and watch -it 

go down. Like the queen.' There I said it'

You: can get out now.

She – getting' out said thanks for the now.

Nothin' but love as she looked down-street - 'erd the

-talkers standing at the stop,

 

Standin' up the top, see all the miles, point

Us out the resevoir, underneath comes all the flo,

Fo' de city, ah! She and he, sits down, anoint

the holy - fires dem up you know.

 

'Hows we in two places at once?' 'Easy, she,

We movin' all,' said He, 'game o tricks and free'

'Look down in the head and out for her,

Instructed my love, stage flow do (mer),

 

'We's one'

How s' done

Win... 'er over

You: always win.

 

IV 

 

'No-ones-thought of the ergonomics of the

building-on-the-bank in it's develop-mental

stages, from the point of view someone, 

sitting round a fire outside it;

 

We can't go on living || under spaces not

Designed for us and || totally forgot'

'Failure of modern || architecture, I

Call it' one says to others, flat. 

 

'OI, listen 'ere' says under-blankets-man

'Yes we can, my family's || been travellin' for 

Three hundred years, we || was around before 

the city started spring 'in || up all for-mal

 

'an he can prove it, look 'ee

kissing his sister, deep and for a while, 

Wit' tounges and the like.' 

 

'It's fine - we all beat || broken characters'

Have a laugh and move along,

Or you'll get stuck in sings

One too the other in song,

 

'We're imminently || Shifting poles between 

Centres in experiments || to see when they'll shift

Of their own accord || see the lies of the land

runs every morning || on and by the news-board'

 

'Look, here we are, see || our movements forward

Breakin' out the car || park, holdin' us, hands 

and wind-walkin' || together far-talkin' toward'

 

'Quit your mumbles Mr, 

quiet your sensations,

both of you's better

find a peace o' cessation or

Put one to another fo'gripe'

 

You: forgettin' that || we love each other and,

Goes and gathers flow- ||- ers by the river,

Out of the mouths of || the fountains-in the 

parks, baptising fo'- ||- mation gave the lonesome giver 

 

You: let me in, all || the time pass by us,

for-now 'ees burblin' || on the mad brooker

Takes 'is horses more || serious I think,

Than anyone I || know, ee'r heard down on 

the serpentine, the ever || lastin' rhyme do flow'

 

*

 

Yesterday was a || hard night, night man,

The mains broke and the || electric and the water

Engineered themselves || together with men, 

Street filled with vans || all fashion of sparks

 

family's all around || install the faces

Come in all the flavours || 'Here's one for you,'

'Which one you goin' to? || pick one why don't

You: we all sharin' || downs the blue, love,

 

Lady, down it still|| pours, 'renchin my Soul 

and getting older || 'Used not to feel; death- 

ly cold, this winter-||-'straight up cruel

'Precipitate's my last || clouded breath, love'

 

'Come with me and run || out into the blazing

Sun, and rest upon || the greens, all lazy 

hummin' at the seams || internalise blue sky

Think and stare again || straight up, I dare you'

 

Wink and stand and chase || a while with me, my

Love, let's pretend a || thousand things and over-

bend ourselves in strange || shapes on the grass, and 

sing, indescrim-||-inately in public parks'

 

But we got the summer-||-time blues, tarmac hot, 

change too loose, falls through|| holes made by sweat-in'

the road, with the beep-||-in' cars and loveless 

scars of the repair || -men in overalls 

too hot to take a drink || from the waterin'-hole-up!

 

*

 

Back in the train form || and looked out the winder

see another folorn, || lookin' in the same,

Looked away down the || big winder, glanced back 

and look em straight || up and down again,

They looked up and || sunshine off the tracks. 

 

You: reiterate || and take a mo

 

'Dese nights we been beneath the || librarian's beat

our meetin' outside ||with the ghosts could hear

the inside shuffle-dance || rotating ladders meet 

thems climbin' up the shelves,' || Wake and fall outside,

 

'Find why they flow back || to the great collect-

ion, all the drains down || the great filtrator

 

'The river runs us by || my love', 'And we gets 

to watching, Bleeds out || the noise of the noise' 

 

'Ol' man and river || wide ol' river,

Seen 'im s'itting on || the break-water-

Sendin' lines out ||and waiting forever

The gentle gulls flying' || out the bad weather'

 

'Ee's perpetually || out to see'in' her

dream out there to the || horizon swim

and gleam her seemin' there'

 

Same place w'ere late at || night you come and find

The little huddle || turning over bones

and laughing to the moon

 

'Us three we troubles, || we playin' on the skins 

music of the warblin' || chins and beat upside, 

The drum comes in || old the boxes aft the din

Make a turn and dance || the night away, my love

 

Dive in! Stream the swim || and feel the hairs, under-

Stand up and leave s'ur-||-face that overflows,

Under-neath the blows || breathe again, reach the end 

And feel the muddy sands || retain the air from under-

Neath your toes.

 

'I through them in, feel || the wind rattle through, under-

Pass and shake the broken || glass within: you leave

the mental-pl'eeze and || find a siding wheeze

'Scuse me officer'

'Freeze!'

 

'Down in the barge they || found me in the bales'

'What they do you -

for' 'nothin' but loiterin' with-in-ten'

'Das fine, man, could a been worse'

'Could a been worse'

'Dropped me off around || the corner', weren't two-

steps, round another || one the same, then they 

picked me up again

'They searched me too' || 'Did you have any-

thing on you, that you || shouldn't have,' 'ee said. 

'No.' 

 

'They breakin' down the door' || in the memory

comin' up, swims the || vision breakin' beat

Back' through the floor || 'Tears em up them ole bills

I do, worth nothin' more || than dirty pictures'

 

'Can't live like this fo' || long time you know'

'But we will try, my || love, come walk a while,

on down by the green || waters, see the algae 

blossom, look up, the sun || and put on your smile'

 

You: said 'I'm dying' || on the sign, too late 

we pass out on each || other's good sides

'And yet we still alive'

 

V

 

Wanderin' Mister

Good night; 'yes 

It is! Lasts forever I do

Says one too two;

'Pass me relatives, man' 'you

got them already.'

 

Tune-in' forward on the dials,

Up the numbers, turn me down,

Look up my movin' face around,

 

'Can you feel the eddy's at the corners

Of the eyes'

'been 'ere centuries' 

They reply.

 

'Where's the one you seek? || Dey said, That old one, 

tune flown down, and by || the waters move-in' love

 

Yous sit up, talkin || loud in the midnight,

of bending light and || places in the same

 

'Das a good sign' 'ee || said moving gently

'Askin' questions it-||-self again' the time'

 

Mister Reversi 'real and quiet || must we move, our doubles,

stills our game, sees the || stain and settles at the

entrance o'er the other side

 

What did you find?

'S'all dreams and architectural, man'

the fat river ran, || seemin' hardly move the rows,

 

'Was it beautiful?' tell the || blind one' how the water

moves, 'remembers years || ago, what the s'urface 

looked alike with the ||light glint softly so.

'Admission Free' down || the lines two again-

st themselves and mo'

 

'They just be like'

lean closer in 

heavy breath with gin

You: She

 

'Them sweet melodies climb

through the cracks in the windows thin

to light the dance within,

Felt the waters runnin' 

 

We playin' statues on the side,

down the street we 'ear magic through the faces

 

'Change them up faster, man,

See the familiars around'

 

'Love, take them by surprise'

But I liked the one before

 

'One two, the three old

Blues come through'

'Can't hear the words clear -

Late the night draws near'

 

You: one's into the threes

Hits them lucky numbers

Up with me

 

'Come on man, got to || look alive-but-not-to

Wake the dead'

You's wrong in the head-'

 

'Are we fine? or has the current swam

Past ourselves in the wrong orders'

 

'They magic fingers' – 'open up'

Reveal your flowin'-up,

 

You remembers  

Father's face? Yes..

keeps it changin' every times 

I have...

 

'Momma tole me once a picture'

'Wen' blind one day dijer?

What was your crime?'

'Loiterin'.

Too long?

'They won't be too much longer'

 

'Ole bills on em two wheelin'

Schemers up the river, ran 

Piecin' themselves with the 

Weather and countin' themselves 

lucky'

 

'Interestin' that they couldn't see,

All the spaces between

And the everlastin' holes

Fallin'.

 

Took all the troubles down one day, no questions - no?

'No questions?'

'No.'

 

'Disappearing out of sight,'

drunk the trouble of the night.

 

***

 

'Play the oldest one again'

 

You: 'Taboo-chi-coo || What's come over you?'

Totem's cap'n'ed down all sloppy, like

Somethin' real messy'

'That's tangiable bad flows 'ee says quiet like

 

'Rolls me over your 

eyes upturned and hands 

me'a-walk in time,

 

''Slowly-love, bruise and bend

f'lowers rising wind-

ow pane behind,'

 

'Too many heads! 

Form run-down in'-

to one' turns out

'The dance is done'

 

*

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2013

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