Poetry Monday: Luke Davies

Lest I be accused of gender bias, I thought I'd feature a male poet this week. And since you're probably reading this on Valentine's day (possibly), why not a love poem. I've mentioned Luke Davies' Totem before on this blog and probably will mention him again, so you may as well get used to it.  Totem is like one long extended love poem in intricate, fresh variations. Here's one of them titled "(Plateau)" which particularly took my fancy when I first read it. I've read it again this weekend (thank you poetry Monday for forcing me to revisit my collections - and remind me how much I love having good books on the shelf to dunk into), and it still takes my fancy.  Maybe it will take yours too. After all, it's a day for fancy.

All that there was was beauty and bluff.
Then a deeper thing grows.
In the coinage of rapture
I will pay you my praise.

You will tell me every story
As we drive; in your eyes
Whole forests will flicker past,
Whole skies, enormous mysteries...

That beauty can malfunction
Is a given.  Love knows
Of all the beauties beyond this.
At every plateau, praise.