Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Mike Ferguson, excerpts from Novel Finds


from Heart of Darkness, Snake, image by Mike Ferguson 



excerpts from Novel Finds 


Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

Ours

Seems to me that
the small miles of the sea
are low buried,
ours.

The distant sea
is a leaden line beyond,
intersected with dark,
raw,

bleak places
feeding on beginnings
overgrown with
shivers.

My impression is
our sea
shivers too,
growing afraid.


Pork (Not Alone) With Gravy

There’s a subject!
There’s a subject!

Gravy!

(spooned onto my plate)
in parenthesis

A discourse!
A homily!

Gravy!

(a pint onto my plate}
in parenthesis

A Sermon!
Hypothetical!

Gravy!

(pork gravy on my plate)
in parenthesis

Subject!
Text!

Gravy!

(plenty of gravy today)
in parenthesis:

A Carvery
for Ray.


Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson

Long Tongue

“Hm,” he said.

“Well,” I sighed.

“It’s not easy to describe. I really am ashamed of my long tongue.”

“Yes, I think it is,” I said.

I want to ask, but with weight of consideration and obviously sullenness in the bargain I can’t.

“You see,” he said.

“Must be deformed?” I inquired.

“No, sir,” he presently resumed, “something displeasing. I use it I know.”

“What sort of man…..”

“I am of the other party.”

“You might have warned me. Detestable.”

He was an extraordinary looking man. Pedantically exact. A down-right long tongue. I saw him use it.


Possibility

This dreadful
shipwreck,
the duality
of a man

Dreadful man
in this
duality of
a shipwreck

I told myself
exposed to
discoveries
I had learned
both truths

Exposed to
learned truths
I myself
told both
discoveries
Struggling
Pleasure
Together
Evil
Knowledge

Knowledge
Evil
Together
Pleasure
Struggling

Struggling with
evil,
the pleasure
of knowledge

The pleasure of
evil knowledge
with
struggling

To dwell in
the duality
I pass beyond the
point of
primitive possibility

I pass the
possibility
of beyond duality
to dwell in the
primitive point


The Hound of the Baskervilles – Arthur Conan Doyle

Inferences

His calling-card
a mischievous smile

broad enough
for a mastiff,

too broad
in my opinion.

I said,
My dear fellow

you have a
dog’s jaw.

Astutely observed,
he said,

dog teeth very
plainly visible.

My inferences
were unambitious.


Surprise Interrogation

Watson: What is it?
Holmes: A terrible sound.
Watson: How do you know?
Holmes: The growling ground.
Watson: Where did you hear it?
Holmes: Inside the hound.
Watson: When were you there?
Holmes: Once he was found.
Watson: Why did you listen?
Holmes: I was duty bound.



from Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad


Horror

The expression

The horror!

is more than a breath.

If a whisper,

The horror!

cried in ruthless surrender.

The veil of a hopeless

The horror!

is a hopeless desire.

Did he?
Did he?

Oh….


—Mike Ferguson