The Cerebral Catalyst

West Shore gangs walk bleached out cape, peaks of water, glossed for midday sparkles weave seaweed locks. New visions, individual rays, sun, bobbing riffs, a roller, kings of the surf silently singing. A harbor, the tartness of salmon-blue air gives clearness to painted sailboats, white-black lean-tos. Here we have color. Surge increases. Abundant pebbles flush, swill.

On the turn of tide we got a load of old Memphis Minnie, accompanied by Kansas Joe McCoy. Hot-breathed mama, hollering across a dram-shop counter. The swagger of voice, saxhorn, tambourine. An enormous tongue, burbling, run of reddish-blue lips. In a downtown shudder of '68 we rode ear-splitting breaks. Shrill high rocks, on flaxen beach, shivery sands smoldering. They plucked out songs, cotton off a pitch; night air pushing rhythms, sunburnt skin.

And I remember an embryonic walk on dunes, Harry's hand in mine. Minnie's rinky-dink humming skimming ripples in our heads, clash of breakers, toke of Red Lebanese resin. Gaiting like herons in a courtship dance that had just begun, damp grains passing new-made promises between our toes.

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Christopher Barnes won a Northern Arts writer's award in 1998. He's read at Newcastle's famous Morden Tower and the Proudwords Lesbian and Gay Writing Festival. His collection Lovebites was published by Chanticleer Press in 2005. He is currently working on a radio programme for Web FM, as well as a collaborative art and literature project called How Gay Are Your Genes, for The Hatton Gallery, Newcastle University. In May 2006 he had a solo art/poetry exhibition at The People's Theatre. His BBC webpage can be found here.

posted 11.27.06.

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Site founded May 7th, 2003, by Project Catalyst.
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