Littleblood

O littleblood, hiding from the mountains in the mountains
Wounded by stars and leaking shadow
Eating the medicinal earth.

O littleblood, little boneless little skinless
Ploughing with a linnet’s carcase
Reaping the wind and threshing the stones.

O littleblood, drumming in a cow’s skull
Dancing with a gnat’s feet
With an elephant’s nose with a crocodile’s tail.

Grown so wise grown so terrible
Sucking death’s mouldy tits.

Sit on my finger, sing in my ear, O littleblood.

— Ted Hughes

Good News for the New Year

Faber has just published its 2006 Poetry catalogue. Things to look forward to this year include Seamus Heaney's new collection 'District and Circle' in April, and in May, Muldoon's Oxford poetry lectures under the title 'The End of the Poem'.

There must be other goodies in there too, but I am only much concerned with our two fellow Irishmen! 'Til April 2006, I can only advise those who have not, to read Heaney's Electric Light. The critics were harsh on this collection. What many failed to notice was that Heaney's poetry is changing direction, for the better I feel. Let us not judge a new road using old standards. In other words, let us not be afraid of change!