The Bird of Nothing & Other Poems - Softcover

Saiz, Prospero

9780941160117: The Bird of Nothing & Other Poems

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0941160114 ISBN 13: 9780941160117

Publisher: Ghost Pony Pr, 1993

Saiz' first full length poetry collection. Gathering short and long poems, fragments, epigrams, all rendered with an intense lyricism, The Bird of Nothing & Other Poems presents an absolutely unique poetry of stunning power and complexity. The collection includes the poem "malinche" (destined to become a classic), the moving "Knell" (for Miguel Hernandez), the 100-page tour de force,"the bird of nothing," as well as "the book of pronouns," (five haunting poems of the desert).

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

From the Publisher:

This book is beautifully designed and illustrated, and is sewn and wrapped in fine Teton "Clay" paper covers, and printed on the finest paper available. Many graphic nuances inform the reading of these poems. A companion piece to this book is Saiz' Chants of Nezahualcoyotl & Obsidian Glyph (Ghost Pony Press, 1996).

from "the bird of nothing"
sun shines on tonto rim
comes a white mist
from afar eye of bird
apache dancer aswirl
descends the wet web
feathers in mid air
rhythm suspended
water washes the mountains

tears of Goyaathle
flowing ever flowing
in the snow mist above
the tall blue pines
white man-bone flute
adorns the talon of the bird
sounds carried by the wind
caress the mountains
T H e S H R i E k O F t H E b I R D

d i e s
sky and water
water and sky
nothing in between
mirage of Mahpiya Luta
ECLIPSE OF THE SUN

the great desert disappears
fever of Wovoka
dance dance dance
evermore dance
the flood hangs on the tip of the peyote

water water everywhere

after the great bull sacrifice
one-hundred pieces of flesh
the feather splashes blood
on the fallen grasses of the plains

Tatanka Iyotake rises

deep down below from the twisted gorge

aya

cut without beginning

aya

cut without end

two snow peaks arise
gates open wide
the great red-shouldered hawk perches
on the endless white line
of the east
flaming red tail cuts the sacred hoop

shriek of the bird sky sundered

deep in time the bird of night hoots
while white silent stones line
the low chant of the gray waters
invisible eagle wings outspread
above the thin layer of floating clouds
only the gloss of claws appearing on

the

v a s t n e s s

southern feather southern feather
rapture of tenochtli
stone cactus rapture
struck by sharp heavy talons
no city there rapture of the abyss
four sharp heavy claws clutch woman
four sharp heavy claws clutch man
the Master of the Animals soars
the spines of the cactus respond
pierced flesh of the groin

blood dances on the sand
rapture of tenochtli
the white spider webs
rapture of the nourished red rose

nightingale breast spent
wet feathers smother the thorn

white spider ever weaving
the bark of the amate tree
color the whitened doeskin
scrawl of red legs and black
tlailotlaque chart your shapeless ways
reckonless time unremembered awkward mark
s i l e n t

chanting of the bark

oh solitary bird of unremembered time
arboreal erect sitting q u e t z a l
release your streaming green quetzalli
from the oily balm of your delicate skin
oh solitary bird before and after shapeless ways
the nights white thighs spread wide and await
the delicate touch of your trembling tail
feather oh feather arouse the tongue in the mouth

of the sad sweeping figure draped in yellows
before teomamas bore patron gods on their shoulders
and yellow blouses and skirts swept golden calli
of mighty tlatoque seated on splendid icpalli awaiting
tributes of song cocoa bundled corn and bright plumage
ollin yoliliztli ollin yoliliztli ollin yoliliztli
QUETZALCOATAL seeker of bones in the valley of death
QUETZALCOATL grinder of ancient bones of men and women
QUETZALCOATL mixer of gray bone-dust on tamoanchan hill

QUILAZTLI hands shaking with crimson topaz hummingbirds
fondles the member of the one looking eastward from tula
forseeing flames of funeral pyre and rising to the dance
the green feather of the quetzal proudly sways and in
the blue the spread train of the shocked peacock fails
the black-tipped bill of toco toucan pierces the phallus

scarlet ibis blood drips slowly on bundled bones
funeral pyre plumes rising magic morning star

firm claw grip of harpy eagle steers serpent raft

eastward ever eastward
sky only and water only no track of the bird there
the blood of sacrifice confounds the indebted poets
and birdlets of rare plumage fall from their tired lips
tiny turquoise bird of silence
small yellow mountain warbler
sparkling in the sun black bird
dovelet of the silk-cotton tree
uttering no sound small cuckoo
hovering bee hummingbird smaller than the eye
white-browed rufous piculet
short-tailed pigmy tyrant without throne
pigmy tit twig twitcher
least pigmy parrot without eyes
fasting locust finch
and the pigmy flowerpecker
carving obsidian flowers
night
short-eared raptor silently flies out
from the mouth of the poet
soft-feathered silent flapping
eye of night and scanning ear
caves and ruins

dead volcano
the night perches on the stones of the dead
ashes of owls eyes and painful cries
dig-dig-digging dig-dig-digging dig-dig-digging
hoots and shrieks
a death and a birth
plumed serpent
penetrating glance through the crystal
before the visions of beginnings and of ends
eternal darkness
memory of no s u n no m o o n
memory of no c o s m o s
ah

b i r d
no m e m o r y
pure-thought

the beak of the bird of golden feathers remembers
chant the burning place!
chant the burning of the self!
chant the rising of the ashes!
chant the beating of the heart!
chant the escape of light!
chant the black legs of the spider!
chant the flame-colored breasts of time!
chant the nestling ball of feathers!
oh yellow womb of Coatlicue
ever southward
the weak foot of the condor walks no more
tucked neath wings suspended from a gallows
condor-rachi condor-rachi
beak and breast of the raptor bleed
fists on horses beat its breast
fists on horses smash its beak

swollen black tongue dangles there
now bitten out at the roots by the snarling
mouth of man with a taste for the gift of silence
arranque del condor arranque del condor
naked head shrouded in flight feathers
stilled dusty spasm of broad-wing
lids closed the andean winter wind goes down
and the condor is perfected
villages and mountains of the south
summer fall and winter feasts of sacrifice
pierce the hide of the great bull hump
pass the leather thongs through bloody holes
tie the condor tightly there and release the bull
watch the curved beak tear hard at the bulls ears
bull-condor condor-bull in bloody unity
mighty nostrils flare
bloody beak glistens
tumult of hide and feathers
drums whistles bells and flutes
feet pound the earth
white spider turns red

on the snow side of the mountains