Monday, August 17, 2009

PHILIP ROWLAND






PHOTOS OF POETS


poet so sunk in thought it seems doubtful he’ll speak again
poet who has clearly done his thinking and attained an unassuming serenity
poet with wife and artist-collaborator in bed
poet standing dazed in a sunlit glade
poet skateboarding a Paris pavement
poet making a precise point
poet struggling to keep her hair in place
poet in a dim light, lit only by his laptop’s glare
poet hooded
poet pushing back her hair to reveal an underarm tattoo
poet who’s clearly made it through the menopause unscathed
poet with her little dog, smiling on behalf of them both
poet hugging a life-size papier-mâché lion
poet with members of the Ladies’ Bicycling Association
poet with a ripe apple
poet in silhouette cut out from newspaper classifieds
poet completely bald, clearly delighted
poet stepping eagerly up to the rostrum
poet presiding over his bone china collection
poet arranging tulips to her incomplete satisfaction
poet as a comic book character
poet looking kindly in Tibetan robes
poet with eyes only showing above his glowing T-shirt
poet digitally represented
poet with a finger in each ear, listening intently
poet on the verge of speech
poet with hand on heart and a Panama hat
poet with muscular arms crossed, in front of a slatted fence or beach hut
poet browsing through his many large books of visual poetry
poet holding a disposable camera at arm’s length, photographing himself
poet with lips pursed, in mid-decision
poet in defiantly heavy lipstick
poet nibbling his girlfriend’s ear
poet perched on a rock beneath a mountain pine
poet hunched attentively forward
poet with long hair and prophetic beard who’s just been listening to the Chico Hamilton Quintet
poet in conversation with another poet in an otherwise bare corner of an art gallery
poet in top hat, holding a rubber toy replica of Godzilla
poet in the poetry library’s cafeteria
poet in snappy snakeskin suit, perched on the edge of a 70’s hotel room bed
poet at an antique desk in a see-through fluffy dress, nibbling her pen-tip
poet giving his best man’s speech
poet at dawn on the beach
poet giving a grizzled, disarmingly direct stare
poet gazing out to sea
poet awash in books, leaning back in his chair
poet teaching cross-legged on a desk
poet who refuses to supply a photo, on principle
poet carefully lifting the lid of a piano



NO/ON is Philip Rowland's baby — a supremely elegant journal issued at least once a year from the quiet town of Tokyo, Japan. This journal harbors many of the finest poets at work worldwide in the small tool (poem) trade. Philip's latest book of poems is this newly released foldout of long & short poems from Longhouse. We happily share one of those poems from the booklet with you here.