The Porcupinity of the Stars
Gary Barwin
COACH HOUSE BOOKS | TORONTO
copyright © Gary Barwin, 2010
first edition
This epub edition published in 2010. Electronic ISBN 978 1 77056 273 8.
Published with the generous assistance of the Canada Council for the
Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. Coach House Books also
acknowledges the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book
Publishing Tax Credit and the Government of Canada through the
Canada Book Fund.
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION
Barwin, Gary
The Porcupinity of the Stars / Gary Barwin
ISBN 978-1-55245-235-6
I. Title.
PS8553.A783P67 2010 C811'.54 C2010-903886-X
do why worry we?
word every earth on is
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CONTENTS
NAKED STONES THE WHOLE DAY LONG
OPTICS, METEOROLOGY AND GEOMETRY
THEORY OF FALLACIES
HISTORY NOTEBOOK
EVERTHELESS
PSALM
FISH
THE ORIGINAL MIDDLE
O
TWO
GLACIER
REGRET
FOURTEEN BEAUTIFUL DOGS
INVERTING THE DEER
RELIEVING
A ROOF FLOOREDA
HEINRICH MANOEUVRES
INBOGGANING
FIDO
ON LISTENING TO COLEMAN HAWKINS
SHOPPING FOR DEER
THE PROBLEM OF BREATH IN OUR AGE
GRIEF
ARCHIVIST OF THE FUTURE
PROVERBS 1:20
SMALL APES AND WHITE FEET
FURNACE COAT
GUN LIPS
THREE
WHATEVER-IT-WAS
BRICK
FOURTH PERSON
FIRST PERSON
SECOND PERSON
THIRD PERSON
FOURTH PERSON
WE ARE FAMILY
THE LOOKOUT MAN
AUBADE
THE WINDPIPE OF SLEEP
AFTER BINYON
HORSE
REALISM
THREE TREATISES
SONG
TWO SONGS
POEM
FROST
AUTUMN IN THE TOOLBOX
SHOUT
SUNDAYS AT THE MUSEUM
THE SKY IS NO REASON
SONG
HOSE
COMEDY
MY GRANDFATHER
SMALL SUPPER
THE PORCUPINITY OF THE STARS
ALPHABET
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I carried my TV down the stairs
buried it on a hill
with a beautiful view
by spring a small antenna
sprouted in that place
somewhere under the earth
wispy clouds and the wingbeats of birds
it is dark and soft
the world is a towel
a little priest raises his arms
he