Daily Poetry Readings #163: Rising Five by Norman Nicholson read by Dr Iain McGilchrist |
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Part 163 of a daily series of readings of his favourite poetry by Dr Iain McGilchrist, author of The Master and His Emissary. Today's poem is Rising Five by Norman Nicholson.
Please subscribe to this channel to be notified of the next reading. For updates on Iain's upcoming new platform go to https://channelmcgilchrist.com ~ Rising Five by Norman Nicholson ~ I’m rising five” he said “Not four” and the little coils of hair Un-clicked themselves upon his head. His spectacles, brimful of eyes to stare At me and the meadow, reflected cones of light Above his toffee-buckled cheeks. He’d been alive Fifty-six months or perhaps a week more; Not four, But rising five. Around him in the field, the cells of spring Bubbled and doubled; buds unbuttoned; shoot And stem shook out the creases from their frills, And every tree was swilled with green. It was the season after blossoming, Before the forming of the fruit: Not May, But rising June. And in the sky The dust dissected the tangential light: Not day, But rising night; Not now, But rising soon. The new buds push the old leaves from the bough. We drop our youth behind us like a boy Throwing away his toffee-wrappers. We never see the flower, But only the fruit in the flower; never the fruit, But only the rot in the fruit. We look for the marriage bed In the baby’s cradle; we look for the grave in the bed; Not living, But rising dead. |