Twenty Tigers

I knew there would be tigers
Listless before we left. I browsed in books
in Anna Kavan's dream house behind a hedge
that became a forest
from whence stepped the tiger
and drew her out to sea

Tigers
I wonder, what do they mean?
From the land of tigers, C signed here telegramme.
We were going there, going back there, going there
Drums beat. I am afraid
Too many tigers ago...
Do tigers eat people? Man eating tigers of India, in windswept cabin house
we watched them;
while we sipped our wine and dipped our cigarettes at ashtrays.
Tigers in black and white TV tree-dappled sunlight
spotlight shadowlight hide
Spent tigers, starved tigers stalking jungleman jungleman
Lone tigers, lame tigers stalking the jungle, the jungle.
Riverquiet huntsmen come, and capture the tigers and tie them
up like trussed fowl
Birds of the feather fowl of the sea, seven leagues away.
Tigers, no tigers in Africa or the Bible - this must be the east then
East meets west in a clash of tigers.

My tigers escape. I am afraid.
Or are you the tiger? You are afraid. Our tigers meet
They don't like each other but they agree on borders.
I am sorry for them. I can see them starving for people,
I can hear them pacing their cages.

I want you. The tiger leaps out of my eyes.
The tiger is tamed.
It lies down inside me and I am ordinary
but I talk in two voices.

Sunlight
riverquiet
jungleman jungleman