Matthew – Janet Frame

Focus on Frame


Matthew – Janet Frame

It is Matthew dressed in a sea wave, scarcely walking
for weeds about his ankles, his life willingly
set in the stocks of ocean, pelted with light,
with ripe leaves from inland trees,
grievance of sharp deserted shells.
Open to door to him and the Dog Night.

He will stand there pleading the innocence of salt and cockle tooth
though his life has savored many tears from the biting tide.
Over his thin unwashed body, congealed sunlight,
The black and white defiances of grave and shell
Minstrel his passionate reason to be: it is, interpret
All shapes of wave, shell, and gull in flight.

Clairvoyant for what lives and is not human
the black Dog Night at his heels he walks night and day
by this dead sea where, Arabs of summer, children
holidaymaking bring new ancient scrolls to light.

O bandit gull, nomad wave,
from babbling cave of dungeon to articulate man,
man weeping,
man walking upright




I found these poems in an old poetry anthology from school. Unfortunately there isn't a reference for where they originally came from.