84. Malik-ul-Mulk – Passionate Vision

Suggests sovereign, power, lord --- 'The life of a man consists not in
seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity' Longfellow

Rough Mystery 

Van Gogh says the whole world’s a painting study;
with form and colour, pencil dust
roughly pushed by fingers into arcs
on paper, shining, planned and unplanned.

Stepping back,
loving the action of it,
(and all the time it took)

I bet it feels good to taste
and smell and see
all the unplanned parts
emerge and, listening, be.

Down’s boy at the folk festival

stands,

sighs again,

walks down the street

saying ‘Hello!’ to new people;

bearded drunks, dancing girls, singers

with eyes in the clouds, bellies of beer and boots in the gutter;

smiles as if the whole turning world needs a twinkle

and puts his arm round those who seem slumped or crumpled,

carrying their heavy fate or load.

He walks for maybe half a mile,

working the line, stars

for eyes, teeth

for smiles, sits;

sighs.