Translations from the Natural World

Les Murray

• Publisher: Carcanet Poetry
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781857540055
• eBook ISBN: 9781847776082
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Poetry
• Index: Literature

Not only the migrating birds speak in Translations from the Natural World. The imprisoned species of pigs use their slum language; ravens, cuttlefish, sunflowers and a shell-back tick are among those non-verbal members of our natural world which find distinctive voices in this new collection of poems by Les Murray. Few poets could achieve such variety of approach to express character and feelings and to give us their vision of the universe. Les Murray also includes the human animal in the poems which begin and conclude the collection.

II.

PRESENCE:
Translations from the Natural World

EAGLE PAIR

We shell down on the sleeping-branch. All night

the limitless Up digests its meats of light.

The circle-winged Egg then emerging from long pink and brown

re-inverts life, and meats move or are still on the Down.

Irritably we unshell, into feathers; we lean open and rise

and magnify this meat, then that, with the eyes of our eyes.

Meat is light, it is power and Up, as we free it from load

and our mainstay, the cunningest hunter, is the human road

but all the Down is heavy and tangled. Only meat is good there

and the rebound heat ribbing up vertical rivers of air.

LAYERS OF PREGNANCY

Under eagle worlds each fixed in place

it is to kangaroo all fragrant space

to feed between long feet to hop

from short to ungrazed sweet to stop

there whittling it down between eyed knees

cocked to propel away through shadow trees

as Rain the father scenting ahead through time

for himself who is all

he can scent, does and expels a blood-clot to climb

wet womb to womb of fur

and implants another in the ruby wall.

STRANGLER FIG

I glory centennially slow-

ly in being Guugumbakh the

strangular fig bird-born to overgrow

the depths of this wasp-leafed stinging-tree

through muscling in molten stillness down

its spongy barrel crosslacing in overflow

even of myself as in time my luscious fat

leaves top out to adore the sun forest high

and my shade-coldest needs touch a level that

discovered as long yearned for transmutes

my wood into the crystal mode of roots

and I complete myself and mighty on

buttresses far up in combat embraces no

rotted traces to the fruiting rain surface I one.

INSECT MATING FLIGHT

Iridescent in accord, clear wings

row, and the pressure of air-ocean

breathing and upholding him, Ee sings:

with our chew eyewords’ whim

moth reed haze racing vane,

butts hum and buoy or, fairer moan,

ex pencil eye fits elf, is gain,

Microbes leap ova neither lung

disdances leery quid threw awed.

Clewings eerie dissent inner cord.

TWO DOGS

Enchantment creek underbank pollen, are the stiff scents he makes,

hot grass rolling and rabbit-dig but only saliva chickweed.

Road pizza clay bird, hers answer him, rot-spiced good. Bla...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Dedication
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• CONTENTS
• I.
• II.: PRESENCE: Translations from the Natural World
• III.
• Also by Les Murray
• Copyright