Paper Crusade E-Book

Michelle Penn

• Herausgeber: Arachne Press
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 34

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

On a wasted island in perpetual sun, the Father practices magic, laments his lost kingdom and commands a ragtag army of three: the passionate and damaged Daughter, the winged Spirit and an indigenous being known only as C. Behind their uniforms — white suits and full-face paper masks — the soldiers seethe with rebellion. The arrival of the Boy, a hapless prince, and the Brother, the Father's rival, unleashes desire, betrayal, insanity and revenge — all of it witnessed by an irate sea. Paper Crusade is a bold reinvention of Shakespeare's play, The Tempest. Michelle Penn's vivid imagery and startling, sensual language create an unforgettable dystopia for our own time.

Leseprobe

First published in UK 2022 by Arachne Press Limited100 Grierson Road, London, SE23 1NXwww.arachnepress.com

© Michelle Penn 2022

ISBNsPrint: 978-1-913665-67-8eBook: 978-1-913665-68-5The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Except for short passages for review purposes no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Arachne Press.

Thanks to Muireann Grealy for her proofreading.

Cover design: Klara Smith 2022.

Acknowledgements

This book was inspired both by Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, and by The Tempest Replica, choreographed by Crystal Pite and performed by her company, Kidd Pivot, at Sadlers Wells, London in 2014. I was so impressed by the composition (as well the dancers’ suits and masks, designed by Nancy Bryant, and the paper boats created at the beginning of the performance) that I had to create my own response — in words.

I’m grateful to Nic Stringer, Fiona Larkin, Mimi Khalvati, Kathleen M. Quinlan and Ruth O’Callaghan for their valuable feedback. My thanks also to Jill Abram.

Special thanks to Cherry Potts and Saira Aspinall at Arachne Press. It’s been a pleasure working with you.

Finally, my love to Jonathan and Ralf.

The Sea, offended

~ I am no mother

bearing life ~ in my depths ~

~ I am black ~ opaque

~ keeper

           of the bones ~

           ~ bodies foundering ~

toppled from arrogance

           burst apart like ships they sink

~ hours ~ days ~ to my deepest find ~

~ Humans are

water ~ salt ~ and still they die

           drowning

in themselves ~ sliding

through my rawest veils

crushed and falling

           to scrap ~ sea snow ~

until my silt ~ repose of the bones

~ I am not kind

~ no Mother Ocean

~ This storm I did not order

an impertinence ~

Screaming squalls ~ wild lightning ~ so much

cheap noise

A man and a boy

flung into my reach

torn away ~ a tease ~

~ I will watch over what I

am owed ~ No one

games the sea ~

Observing the storm he ordered, The Father recalls his escape

Our raft a shell      adrift

a bone flung

from crest to crest

SHADESOF CONJURERS PAST:

MAKETHISADREAM

SENDMEFAR, AWAKEANDWARM

CRADLINGTHESEBOOKS, THISCHILD

(the words)

(the waves)

(the waves)

My brother turned cheap thief

under loan of night

My crown        my wife in his fist

while I’m set to sea

on a slap-raft, bucking, pitching

SHADES, MAKETHISADREAM

These frigid waves, my girl     a page

of flesh barely formed, already torn

(the words)

My head rakes

the remaining oar, my cloak

a sail laden with rain

and I’m gripping my girl close

(the waves)

My books skid

Find a spine, a corner, tap it twice

SHADESOF CONJURERS PAST:

TAMETHESESWELLS, BRACEUS

(the waves)

Words, don’t let us die

The Sea listens to a tale of missing histories

~ The Daughter prods ~

…did you, father…? did you…? that

wild sky… the sea

           so vehement

and a ship… tell me…

~ As always, he gazes past her

toward the horizon ~

Calm, my girl

(the words)

The crew are safe, asleep

in an intact boat

never having set sail

Only one has found

our coast

and for purpose

~ He doesn’t reveal The Boy ~

knotted on opposite sands ~

My child, it’s time

you knew

Your past is a lost shore, obscured

by tongues of salt, your father