Contents

Acknowledgements

Foreword by Ali Smith

Introduction

A Note on the Text x xiii

1

27

POEMS

from origins and elements (1959) Elasticity

34

Reading about Rimbaud

34

‘It’s a mistake to write a poem that seems more certain’ 34 Emily 35 Water 35 Carbon 36 Reputation 38 Storms 39 A Fire 39 Flood-water 40 Sleep 41 ‘Protected in my little house’ 42 To Anybody at All 42 Singularity 42 Four or Ninety or ∞ or what 42 Now 43 Lezione di Recitazione 45 ‘ “Don’t meet,” they say to me’ 45 The Unbreakable-Up 46 Litmus 48 Cave Drawing of the Water of the Earth and Sea 49 Hooray, Hooray, Hoo Ray Ray Ray 55 Sprung Sonnet 57 Ay, Ay, Ay, Dolores 58

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