…tell it slant
The river is an old demon
& my heart is an infirm creature
The river is sure of its way
& my heart is capable of lies.
The river is incapable of lies
& my heart is beating, beat on beat.
The river flows from high to low
& my heart is on its own journey.
The river is a twisted truth.
The mountain is indifferent
& truth is best told slant.
The mountain looks down on us all
& truth is there to knock us sideways.
The mountain has an old white head.
& truth holds us to its heart
The mountain will save or kill
& truth is moving through the world.
The mountain wishes for nothing
& truth is never silent.
The truth is going to set us free
& the mountain will wear away.
Martin Rieser is both a poet and visual artist. His interactive installations based on his poetry have been shown around the world, He runs the Stanza poetry group in Bristol. Published: Poetry Review, Magma 74, Morphrog 22; Poetry kit; Primers Volume 3, Artlyst Anthology 2020. Alchemy Spoon 2022, Ink Sweat and Tears 2019/2023, Shortlisted: Frosted Fire 2019 /2022, Charles Causeley Prize 2020;; runner up Norman Nicholson 2020,; Winner of the Hastings Poetry Competition 2021.