As promised, here’s some of my favourite previously unpublished experimental writing. It’s from a collection called The Unfinished Dream, which I submitted for my MA final dissertation. The collection is structured around the seasonal cycles and the ogham alphabet, so I’ll be posting regular extracts throughout the year at the appropriate times. And if you’re interested, the book will be out in the spring. (Yes, it will be bound with my own hair…) I’d love to hear your comments and feedback!
U n b o u n d
l o o s e – l e a v e s
curling and
s t r e t c h i n g
in the sun
Words that write [me]
on birch bark sheets
c a t c h t h e w i n d
and i am [gone]
Before I can begin: to write
to speak
to think
this book must be bound
in [my] skin –
tied
with [my] hair –
laced
to [my] spine –
with sinew
nerve
and vein
I must become:
[the body of] the text
***
speak [nobody] to tell
words
[silenced]
silence
genesis beginning tell [at] you
write
speak to
nobody speaks
:
silenced i
end tell write story speak, think speaks
but tell silence genesis to you and write think the end the beginning to the tell
this you speaks [of]
was at silence genesis
at beginning
[word was nobody but silenced]
end story words in
and tell silence
is
nobody
am in
was beginning write to think beginning end at silence
genesis
to tell to you [this] and to the beginning write
[nobody but]
story words genesis at silence
tell story this word
and end at speak
think to nobody
silenced word beginning was nobody
think beginning you story words and in genesis beginning word was but silenced
beginning
story words
and you in genesis write speak end silenced am
word nobody
write
the silence genesis
write beginning
[in silence] speak
was and am
end speak beginning write
to silence
end write speak
am think nobody
wordsilence
end at beginning speak
[but in word to you this tells]
in genesis
write words to you
in the Beginning –
was the Word:
[But nobody speaks
of the Silenced – ]
Sally-Shakti Willow 