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4 am under Annapurna

- to Angela

I woke to birdsong in the purple trees
and rose to start the day's machinery,
my traveller's pulse a-race.

For late last night I'd flown from Katmandu,
the dark concealing any mountain view
or Pokhara's smiling face.

Up to the waking terrace made my way
where perfumes hung, too deep in mystery
for France to emulate.

Across the fields, the trees, the greens, the golds,
my eye roved on and caught the planet's throne
aloft, its outline faint -

for as I scanned afar I saw the hills,
kind curves and tints of distant browns, until
I caught a change of tone:

above, an endless tower of grey so high
I thought its fingertips would touch the sky –
ah, Annapurna's dome.

The mountain, sleepy, made her morning stretch,
an image on my memory now deep etched.
I saw infinity awake.

She shrugged aside young cloudlets gathered there
who overnight had nestled in her care,
to ease her age-old aches.

She stared awhile, as if to stoop to me,
and whispered on the wind imperiously:
“Learn, my child, Our Law.”

The river's aires, the canvas of the sky,
the sculptured mountains, Nature's book of life.
These alone endure.

Poetry

  1. Biggin S. Publish and Be Banned. In Kerrie Pateman (ed.), Behind the Headlines. Poetry Now, May 1995, p.32, ISBN 1 85731 463 8
  2. Biggin S. Let Slip the Dogs of War. In Kerrie Pateman (ed.), Living in the 20th Century, Poetry Now, Sept 1995, p.194, ISBN 1 85731 621 5
  3. Biggin S. Nobody Asked Me! In Kerrie Pateman (ed.), Stirred but Not Shaken, Poetry Now, Oct 1995, p.128, ISBN 1 85731 676 2
  4. Biggin S. Better Red than Dead. In Kerrie Pateman (ed.), Poets Say Cheese, Poetry Now, Jan 1996, p.44, ISBN 1 85731 642 8
  5. Biggin S. Nine lives. In Kerrie Pateman (ed.), Animal Matters, National Antivivisection Soc., Spring 1996, p.202, ISBN 1 85731 673 8
  6. Biggin S. Death certificate. In Kerrie Pateman (ed.), Euthanasia. Poetry Now. March 1996. p.1, ISBN 1 85731 623 1
  7. Biggin S. Brief Palinode - Piccola Palinodia, In In Other Words, J. Literary Translators, Soc. Authors, Spring 1996, ISSN 1361 911X (translation of Dacia Maraini)
  8. Biggin S. Italy the Courtesan, In In Other Words, J. Literary Translators, Soc. Authors, Spring 1996, ISSN 1361 911X (translation of Dacia Maraini)
  9. Biggin S. Choice Cut. In NightMares, Poetry Now, Spring 1996, ISBN 1 85731 659 2
  10. Biggin S. What in the World? In State of the Nation, Poetry Now, Spring 1996, ISBN 1 86188 470 2
  11. Biggin S. Bianca. In Andrew Head (ed.), The World of Horses. Poetry Now, Spring 1996, ISBN 1 86188 480 X
  12. Biggin S. How Now Brown Cow. In Andrew Head (ed.), A Paler Shade of Green, Poetry Now, Summer 1996, ISBN 1 86188 496 5
  13. Biggin S. 4 am under Annapurna. In Andrew Head (ed.), Destinations, Poetry Now, Autumn 1996, ISBN 1 86188 423 0
  14. Biggin S. Eclipse. In Quiet Moments, Int. Library Poetry, Autumn 1996, ISBN 1 57553 180 1
  15. Biggin S. Eclipse. In The Sound of Poetry (tape), Int. Library Poetry, Autumn 1996, ISBN 1 57553 180 1
  16. Biggin S. The Assassination of Physic's Companion, In Between a Laugh and a Tear, Int. Soc. Poetry, Autumn 1996, ISBN 1 57553 179 8


See also literary works, under PUBLICATIONS.


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