Monday, December 21, 2009

Follow follow follow after following
flow flowing follow after flow
a milk of light the nacre flowing
into follow milk flow as follows
milked of its colors let them
follow flow sun's bent a lasting
milk in light its nacre sheers to
touch as flow feels following after
flow touch to feel against light
against a following flow to after
let be on what is flowing it
follows as let of nacre after
sun to color dogged it will appear
a following discreet as distance follows

Theodore Enslin

I haven't read much Enslin for a long time, and today, when I knew I'd have to wait in the car for a family member to arrive at the station, I grabbed a book of his poetry on the way out. The book was In Tandem published in 2001 by Stop Press, which I believe was run by artist Basil King. Being on my own, I could read the poetry aloud without people thinking I'm mad. It's like listening to, or playing, a piece of music (Enslin,of course, is a composer), and as you read, you notice the careful, sound-based composition, and the way phrases are introduced, then re-worked and developed. It's an exhilirating experience. I don't know of any other poet who writes quite like this, with the possible exception of John Taggart, who is a friend of Enslin's.

4 comments:

Ed Baker said...

word upon word and beyond there, meaning harmonies of

hope you can find some of Ted's other "stuff"..

well worth the search:


The Median Flow

From Near the Great Pine

RE-SOUNDING

Case Book

Then, and Now

The Country of Our Consciousness

The Roads Around Jenkins

SKEINS

you just might find some of TE's "stuff" over at Bob aand Susan Arnold's LONGHOUSE BOOKS

tel 'em "Ed sent me", and see where t h a t
gets you!

pretty soon no one will remember what a (real) book is so or have any

best act poste-haste

Alan Baker said...

Thanks for the book recommendations Ed. I have another book, similar to In Tandem, in that it's late-period, called "Sequentiae". The rest, I've culled from the internet, including a superb long poem written as a tribute to George Oppen. I forget the title; I'll have to to hunt it down on my shelves somewhere.

I'll check out Longhouse Books.

davidg said...

It is a pleasure to see you and Ed Baker (who corresponds by email with me) talking so lovingly about Ted Enslin's work. I have read and own just about all of his 118 books, and I've come to most of them. I've also come to love the man (Ted and I have corresponded for at least the past 30 years, an average of one snail mail letter per week!) Anyway, Ted deserves maximum appreciation, always.
--David Giannini

Alan Baker said...

Hi David
Interesting to hear about your friendship with Enslin. 118 books! That's some output. I see there's a Selected - Then and Now, from the National Poetry Foundation, which I might have to invest in.
best wishes
Alan