Glaze

Tiles are mostly abstract:

tiles come from Islam:

tiles have been through fire:

tiles are a sacred charm:

After the unbearable parallel

trajectories of lit blank tile,

figure-tiles restore the plural,

figuring resumes its true vein.

Harm fades from the spirit as tiles

repeat time beyond time their riddle,

neat stanzas that rhyme from the middle

styles with florets with tendrils of balm.

Henna and mulberry mos-

aics controvert space:

lattice on lattice recedes

through itself into Paradise

or parrot starbursts framing themes

of stars bursting, until they salaam

the Holy Name in sprigged consonants

crosslaced as Welsh metrical schemes.

Conjunct, the infinite doorways

of the mansions of mansions amaze

underfoot in a cool court, with sun-blaze

afloat on the hard water of glaze.

Ur shapes under old liquor

ziggurats of endless incline;

cruciform on maiolica

flourishes the true vine.

Tulip tiles on the grate of Humoresque

Villa join, by a great arabesque,

cream boudoirs of Vienna, then by left-

handed rhyme, the blue pubs of Delft

and prominence stands in a circle

falling to the centre of climb:

O miming is defeated by mime:

circles circle the PR of ominence.

Cool Mesach in fused Rorschach,

old from beyond Islam,

tiles have been to Paradise,

clinkers of ghostly calm.