Dancers

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Dancers

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He dressed her with forgiveness

   in the gold shadows

                        of passion

seeking death, seeking the

              swelling heart

of God. Under

       the weight of his wings, into some

starless summit they rose, clasping

   limbs with alien abandon. Each rich

               with superstition, as in the forest

   terror 

poured from the tip of each tree,

     from the tongues of black bears and insects

               crawling.

They held, waiting for too bright

   a birth between them, waiting for the

                           magic to merge

their pain into one great beginning.

   Like the thighs of angels in flight,

               their thighs

cut the warring air and smashed against the sky

               into gales of

colour, into streams

                    of happy endings as they

dropped like a flood

   at the feet

of death, and love

                 began to weave

under

     their astounded skins.

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Copyright © 1997 by Allison Grayhurst

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First published in “New Hope International Writing”, 1995

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New Hope International 2New Hope International 1

http://www.geraldengland.co.uk/nhi/nhimags.htm#w18-2

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You can listen to the poem by clicking below:

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“Allison Grayhurst intertwines a potent spirituality throughout her work so that each poem is not simply a statement or observation, but a revelation that demands the reader’s personal involvement. Grayhurst’s poetic genius is profound and evident. Her voice is uniquely authentic, undeniable in its dignified vulnerability as it is in its significance,” Kyp Harness, singer/songwriter, author.

“Allison Grayhurst’s poems are like cathedrals witnessing and articulating in unflinching graphic detail the gritty angst and grief of life, while taking it to rare clarity, calm and comfort. Grayhurst’s work is haunting, majestic and cleansing, often leaving one breathless in the wake of its intelligence, hope, faith and love amidst the muck of life. Many of Allison Grayhurst’s poems are simply masterpieces. Grayhurst’s poetry is a lighthouse of intelligent honour… indeed, intelligence rips through her work like white water,” Taylor Jane Green, Registered Spiritual Psychotherapist and author.

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Reviews of  ‘Journey of the Awakening’:
“Journey of the Awakening is the first book of poetry that I have read of Allison Grayhurst. While reading it began to sound familiar, the comment to myself was “She is as good as Sylvia Plath”. When I finished the book I read comments from others who referred to her as “In the style of Sylvia Plath”; Ms Plath, one of my favorite poets had no match until Ms Grayhurst’s work. Congratulations to her on her achievements, I am already a ‘fan’, the love of her work will continue to grow,” Ann Johnson-Murphree, poet and author.
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“Grayhurst is a great Canadian poet. All of Allison Grayhurst’s poetry is original, sometimes startling, and more often than not, powerful. Anyone who loves modern poetry that does not follow the common path will find Grayhurst complex, insightful, and as good a poet as anyone writing in the world today. This, and other Grayhurst poetry volumes are highly, highly recommended,” Tom Davis, poet, novelist and educator.
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