invisible lyric

(words for jeff beck's 'angel footsteps')

I

out from strata manifold

   angel pinions 
       lithe on zephyrs coasting, 
            soaring unbroken 
                low over base-cloud tundra 


   and onwards, nowhere 
       beyond horizons precluded 

             climbing 
                  shelf above shelf 
       thru aegean gleam 


   smoke-blue cirri threads 
               like silk-weave furze - 
              a myriad of spirals 
       strewn 
far across ether fields 


            and onwards, nowhere 
                       soundless
              tail wings 
        traverse 
                azure fields rising 


angel footsteps
     ghosting 
         graphite swathes

     leave no shadows 
                         burning


II

 Nimbus cluster
  way off 
         in a corner 
             of sky

fizzlin' out
    these ashen clumps
of air-mist
drifting

          Vapour-silt hangs 
heavy in stillness 

          far winds transient
                     on jet-stream siphoned

      angels transcending
coming down,
           escaping,
   thru
         the hidden floor

    Footsteps
   rapping
at lattice dismantling
                angels dance and angels soar,

            Nebula manifest
dark rising
    cloak-spectre,

              angels tailspin

           angels 
       are no more


III
            translucent
                contrail ribbon
                        snakes 
               beads of zircon crystal
   
        twilight's slipstream
                  fades to light gold

            far winds winding
                         through sky-paths 
                                 narrowing, 

               where angels   drowse
                 on sirocco  whisper 



          transient magnetic residue 
                    glints
                      salmon pink lustre 
               on thermal  jet-stream


           altitude voyager 
footsteps slinking
            all along 
            the sky-plain

   and onwards nowhere
                thru heaven's
                           door 

         beyond stealth 
                 tower clouds

                         of radiant
                        molten ore

© David Jones


Commentary:

'Angel footsteps' is an instrumental track on a Jeff Beck CD called Jeff Beck Who Else? released in 1999. The words are about the music, the 'landscape/skyscape in the music' and how I saw angels floating around in that imaginary space.

I used abstract imagery because rather than talk in 'real terms' about 'real' stuff - which can be found elsewhere, I liked to give the reader something other than 'the real' to consider. Why does it have to be real?

I like things which consider form, not just content, people relate to shapes, and the forms of the shapes as well as the thing inside it.

Chris Cornell (Soundgarden frontman) once said to a question about one of his songs, 'why is love like suicide' he replied 'I don't know, man, it's just words on a page.' They don't have to have a meaning or purpose - they don't in this particular instance - they just sound good. Anyone see any references to John Clare, Edgar Alan Poe, Bob Dylan, Edward Thomas in here?

David Jones
Bonfire contributor