Margaret Tait – Origins and Elements

Origins and Elements is one of Margaret Tait's self-published poetry books. This is a rare, out-of-print "interim edition". Most of these poems were written during the winter of January, February, March 1958. A few of them first appeared in The Voice of Scotland. The cover design is by Peter Hollander. LUX has a small number of copies of this and other rare Tait poetry volumes, to complement the recent Subjects & Sequences: A Margaret Tait Reader and the DVD Margaret Tait, Selected Films 1952 – 1976 (also available through the shop). Please note, all copies are in excellent condition but have some slight yellowing of their pages due to age. All copies will be sent by registered post. STORMS I wished for a storm to test my strength against. I cried for the gale-force wind, For electric explosions, For sheets of rain. I looked to the motionless wisps of cloud, To the serene blue of the sky And wished them transformed. I wished to be battered and to emerge triumphant. I love the beating heat of the uncovered sun And the magic stillness of a wet evening after rain And a calm of the sea which makes it look heavy melted deep-coloured stuff; But meantime through it all, I crave the wave beating Lashing the untamed earth I live on And the screaming of the wild atmosphere I live in. The violence of it pumps my blood faster.