Mirrorball by John Muckle Liz Fincham they fearlessly encounter both beauty

they fearlessly encounter both beauty and darkness

' – Michael Hakuzan Wenninger

Ken Smith (1938-2003) was a major voice in world poetry

‘The collection's title is not ironical

including Gunpowder (1995)

Mirrorball by John Muckle Liz Fincham they fearlessly encounter both beautyWhat are those distorted smears of colour in the mirror ball? Are they people? Look closer. Yes. They are people. They are us. And there am I, a small pink smudge, an arched eyebrow or perhaps not: retinal overload, a trick of the light. How do people make sense of themselves, and what do those splintered shafts of vari coloured liquidity have to tell us about the skins they are bouncing off? Who knows. The speaker of these lines is himself caught up