Infused by Mortal Eyes, by Ward Kelley.

Between the lines, among the letters, under the flesh
and fabric of nuance there lies something flashing:

a writhing, shiny thing that darts and rolls, glimmers
then runs away, leaving behind a trail of truth, but

one which quickly evaporates; yet once seen, it imprints
the reader's mind and stirs the heart or halts a breath, and

this is how it can be recognized and known. That which
lives between the lines will connect with your soul who

inhabits the land between the foliations of the mind, and
the stuff of poetry is also the stuff of your soul. The real

amazement is that this concourse can take place while
infused by the mortal eyes, the fleshy pathway to the soul.

 
  Artist's note:
Jack Spicer (1925-1965), was an American poet who published several collections during his brief life. Trained as a linguist, Spicer was active in the San Francisco poetry scene during the 50s and 60s. Perhaps today he is most renowned for his theories describing poetry as dictation from a source outside the poet; theories he delivered in a short series of lectures in Vancouver where he portrayed poets as radio receivers. He died at San Francisco General Hospital from alcohol poisoning; his last words were, "My vocabulary did this to me."

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Ward Kelley has seen more than 1100 of his poems appear in journals world wide. A Pushcart Prize nominee, Kelley's publication credits include such journals as: ACM Another Chicago Magazine, Rattle, Zuzu's Petals, Ginger Hill, Sunstone, Spillway, Pif, 2River View, Melic Review, Thunder Sandwich, The Animist, Offcourse, Potpourri and Skylark. Recently he was the recipient of the Nassau Review Poetry Award for 2001. Kelley is the author of two paperbacks: "Histories of Souls," a poetry collection, and "Divine Murder," a novel; he also has an epic poem, "Comedy Incarnate" on CD and CD ROM.

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