Moon Bone

It's always a pleasure to discover an old poem. This is one that I wrote in bpNichol's class in first year undergrad, twentysomething years ago, clearly under bp's influence and the influence of my readings from the texts of indigenous people's from around the world. I was studying music at York University and the music department, in addition to having a strong new music, free improv, and South Indian program, was particularly slanted toward ethnomusicology.

MOON BONE

(

moon.......................bone

moan.......................boon

old man shaking his bones

old moon shining stone

the old in the arms of the new

man.........................bane

mane.......................blind

binding a sign

the one blond eye

a single hoofprint

pushing through

mine.......................born

morn.......................bade

a scimitar a

moor’s.......................blade

the

moon’s.......................bone

....................................a bent

shine

..............................................)

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Image modified from photo in "Picturing the Museum", an online exhibition from the American Museum of Natural History. It represents a photographer preparing to take a picture of a horse.