Brancusis Golden Bird / 273

1. Constantin Brancusi (18761957), French(Romanian-born) pioneer of abstract sculpture,whose bird statues became icons of modernism inthe arts. His nonrepresentational aesthetic was sorevolutionary at the time that U.S. customs offi-cials wanted to tax his sculptures as raw materialrather than works of art.2. The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.

In the book of Revelation, Jesus repeatedly iden-tifies himself as the alpha and the omega.3. God of the Egyptian underworld; symbol of theindestructibility of life.4. Excessive sensitivity.5. Catholic doctrine that, from the moment of herconception, Mary was free of the burden of originalsin.

Brancusis Golden Bird1

The toybecome the aesthetic archetype

As ifsome patient peasant Godhad rubbed and rubbed 5the Alpha and Omega2of Forminto a lump of metal

A naked orientationunwinged unplumed 10

the ultimate rhythmhas lopped the extremitiesof crest and clawfromthe nucleus of flight 15

The absolute actof artconformedto continent sculpturebare as the brow of Osiris3 20this breast of revelation

an incandescent curvelicked by chromatic flamesin labyrinths of reflections

This gong 25of polished hyperaesthesia4shrills with brassas the aggressive lightstrikesits significance 30

The immaculateconception5of the inaudible birdoccursin gorgeous reticence . . . 35

1922