Wednesday, October 29, 2008

This is... by JKD

After the language in We Hide in the Night and My Understanding: A Partial List, by Amanda Deutch (Oct 9th) and the form of All those choices by George Vance (Oct 8th)

My understanding
of
opening doorways under hypnotic suggestion
not
as cool as visiting Times Square or the ring of tenderness
as
dark as erotic epics
just as
irreverent as crushed beetles
but
here the mouse more cracked up to be precious
or
timed one minute farther than the step it’d take
with
the unobserved packed onto the cityscapes
this
tale as Oppenesque as what is left
or
what she did not say when invited to speak
yes
those words might have been the second’s blink
here
between the fleck of one or the next iris-shadow
as
translucent skin sifted under Sappho’s come-hither
while
I demonstrate the separation of parts like ribs careful
as
termites under eaves because I do my understanding
is
underproven to do this as in step down hard
then
the skeletal crush would not be as simple a sound
as
this glass candy breaking
to
expose between the twelve palms of each the number
or
eventful fittings of copper dream this
is
that barren plexiglass universe you press against
too
look down 15 flights he thinks the trail is still
hot
maybe this is the time in your hand-held air give over
can’t you
wake to breath to bombarding Cyclops beyond
that
windowpane that skyscraper this collapsing gunfight
to
skip the fits the phaser start over with a new list of nots
as in
this rung is not so keen so capable of holding its own
or
my weight cascading under scythes

2 comments:

Amanda Deutch said...

"Oppenesque" is a funny coincidence b/c I just re-read Oppen this week.

Jennifer K Dick said...

Hi Amanda,
Oppen is great. Someone to read every week! Have you listened to the wonderful recordings on Pennsound of Oppen? DO!!! They are a treasure. Best, Jen