Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Terrestrial Variations [a poem]

Well, it says in the header that you can expect some poetry, so I guess now is the time.

Over on this side of the pond there is a curious phrase used in the television listings. I liked it so much it became the title. The rest should be clear. :-)


Terrestrial Variations

And there came like a bolt of perfect blue from the sky.

Like a voice of four-thousand angels all singing in harmony.

Like the aching rush of magnetic foil on the teeth.

Like a tornado of leaves and dirt abrading the skin, as homes are carried away forever into the wind.

Like the greedy burrowing of worms through the flesh of a corpse.

Like the waterfall crush of four tons of river on gellied bones.

Like the flash of atomic radiation igniting the skin.

Like the last three seconds of awareness before the skidding car hits the concrete embankment.

Like the final candle snuffed in the mausoleum, oxygen gone, last brick cementing you inside.

With all of this perfection and symphony the voice said:

"Coming up next on BBC 1: The End Of The World."

"Or, on BBC 2: a look at today's football highlights."

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