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Shearsman 55 |
Frances Presley
Othery Cope |
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars
(Revelations 12:1)
Who's that a-sewing?
Ann the restorator
What's she a-sewing?
Ask the restorator
A cope of the (indecipherable) sunShe was clothed with cords
and t- ties
twisting out the sweating
minor volcanic
in the sewers of the ruins
the daughter-house
of the rere dorter
harebells in the runisWho's that a-sewing?
Ann the restorator
What's she a-sewing?
Ask the restorator
A cloak of the (indecipherable) sonShe was clothed with the sun
Mary the Virgin, Mary the engine
Origin and trenchant
More guy ses than sh®ines
she is the plasmic centre stitches a-bursting
closed with the one pom e
granateWho made the patches?
Who defines ______ the outlines?
Ann the restorator
Split between cope and car
2Window through window
Push over Dis/
Solution
In the blue sky ScriptorumLady Justice said to me
She said, Christine
Tell me the truth
She said Tell me the truthShow me the City
Show me the City
Of Ladies that you've builtThen Lady Justice
Led the Queen of Heaven
Into the highest tower
To greet all of usShe is clothed with a book
leaves dangling from her ear lobes
doubling her chin
folding on her belly
dancing on her navel
tasted with her seeds
pages gripped prehensile
letters on her (indecipherable)
scrollCHORUS
Copyright © Frances Presley, 2003
Author's Note:
Othery Cope is an exploded blues, inspired by John the Revelator, sung by Blind Willie Johnson and his wife Angeline. The Othery Cope hangs in the Glastonbury Abbey museum, and was restored by Ann French. I also quote from The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pizan.What may appear to be misprints in the text above are intentional....
Frances Presley lives in London and is the author of
Somerset Letters (Oasis Books, London, 2002).
