Charles Olson Reading at Berkeley as transcribed by Zoe Brown, Coyote 1966
The Ring Of
It was the west wind caught her up, as
she rose
from the genital
wave, and bore her from the delicate
foam, home
to her isle
and those lovers of the difficult, the hours
of the golden day welcomed her, clad her, were
as though they had made her, were wild
to bring this new thing born
of the ring of the sea pink
& naked, this girl, brought her
to the face of the gods, violets
in her hair
Beauty, and she
said no to zeus & them all, all were not or
was it she chose the ugliest
to bed with, or was it straight
and to expiate the nature of beauty, was it?
knowing hours, anyway,
she did not stay long, or the lame
was only one part, & the handsome
mars had her And the child
had that name, the arrow of
as the flight of, the move of
his mother who adorneth
with myrtle the dolphin and words
they rise, they do who
are born of like
elements
Charles Olson Reading at Berkeley as transcribed by Zoe Brown, Coyote 1966, Page 2