ATMOSPHERE
OF MONA
Matthew SHAW
VARIOUS cuts from
a collection
of VERSE & IMAGE
Described by singer Shirley Collins as a ‘slowing’ and ‘surging’ work, in a meditative long-train-of-thought of a prose poem, intertwined with the author’s own photographs, Shaw’s ATMOSPHERE OF MONA (Annwyn House, 2020) explores the relationship between self and space, effortlessly weaving profound explorations of nature, time, history, spirituality, myth and growth in his ode to the annual cycle of seasons.
See below for a quilt of verse and image from the text.
I wanted to look deeper into the word Mona.
I drew on my studies in Hebrew to do so.
מ — Mem; Central cause, creativity,
symbol of woman
and mother.
ו — Vov; Mother vowel O, the absolute,
the point
which separates nothingness
and being.
נ — Nun;
fruit,
water,
cause and effect
ALEPH (ℵ);
Mother vowel.
The abstract principle of a thing,
stability,
continuity.
Remembrance fun-day
streets named after daughters, playing on doorsteps
chalk smeared footsteps Sweet wrapper archaeology
°
Table top treasure arrow three-legged vision machine
Prehistoric solar layers
mist rising mythology Tree lined expressionism quest led nostalgia hive mind.
°
streets named after daughters, playing on doorsteps
chalk smeared footsteps Sweet wrapper archaeology
°
Table top treasure arrow three-legged vision machine
Prehistoric solar layers
mist rising mythology Tree lined expressionism quest led nostalgia hive mind.
°
Solar observatory
chlorophyll filter
oxygen giver
°
Above as below
in an animist theatre
slowly descending sun dream sleep serenades
°
Contrasting halves of the same picture castles and flooded meadows
pass by in daydream stations
twilight lyrics surround me swirling as dizzy fruit flies
°
The ghost of MacGregor and ritual forms translation of meanings symbols to words the esoteric over ground hidden in plain sight
°
Pollard tree
spring close cut
moon rising,
Libra azimuth
°
Buried here within
360 degrees of nothing
the uncrowned king
pavement scrawled
sacred texts,
awakening from a long sleep awakening from darkness to light awakening from the cold earth awakening into day from night
°
River source stone marker avenue to every tomorrow
Sun centred astrology every word ever written
°
In 1770 these words were carved scratched into glass
scraped into life
transparency over landscape thoughts over world
remembrance in mineral
°
egress
°
Interconnected sky poems Druidic apples in circular groves red sky promise or warning within the atmosphere of Mona
chlorophyll filter
oxygen giver
°
Above as below
in an animist theatre
slowly descending sun dream sleep serenades
°
Contrasting halves of the same picture castles and flooded meadows
pass by in daydream stations
twilight lyrics surround me swirling as dizzy fruit flies
°
The ghost of MacGregor and ritual forms translation of meanings symbols to words the esoteric over ground hidden in plain sight
°
Pollard tree
spring close cut
moon rising,
Libra azimuth
°
Buried here within
360 degrees of nothing
the uncrowned king
pavement scrawled
sacred texts,
awakening from a long sleep awakening from darkness to light awakening from the cold earth awakening into day from night
°
River source stone marker avenue to every tomorrow
Sun centred astrology every word ever written
°
In 1770 these words were carved scratched into glass
scraped into life
transparency over landscape thoughts over world
remembrance in mineral
°
egress
°
Interconnected sky poems Druidic apples in circular groves red sky promise or warning within the atmosphere of Mona
Matthew SHAW is a Dorset-based composer, musician, poet and artist who has been releasing music since 2000 under his own name & as Tex La Homa. ATMOSPHERE OF MONA can be purchased direct from the publisher here.