in the margins of a Peter Hutton film

The film tore                    just where
the glass      spilled                    Cleft
thinner than     a                mica leaf
Calmer than l                     A wraith-
note

Sung in slow            tide       Round
under my tongue               No more
but so?              Of winter blossoms
lace-leaf                        & thale cress
spoke

The sheet frayed               just where
the drop        fell                         Words
skip across water                  & catch
flame            White burns the crystal
rose

Asleep                          as deep as river
silt            Eyelashes & lime          Fall
now           or learn to fly          Sooth-
sight is breath you touch               Or
snow

The ice broke                      just where
the wing           stirred            The sun
ached     in its sheath             of cirrus
plume      Frost-leaf             & lucent
stone

Feather upon my lip              A voice
parts wisps                                 of hair
& lulls the wave                  Ice floats
upstream              Ink-white the river
wrote