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(1)

 

It looks like

instead of “Scottish LIterature”

it has to be “anti-colonial studies”

or some such: fair enough—

 

if the narrative doesn’t fit,

fuck it then. let’s instead

have some kind of

discussion, let alone

 

a “colloquium”,

on the function of relative

spacing and relative articulat-

ion in, the place of address:

 

which is to say:-

                          the page itself.

 

 

 

                                                (2)

 

down this way

following

the line

 

of breathing,

starting over

 

again and

again and again

 

it does not turn

without

 

that which

carries it

over (and over)

 

 

 

(3)       

 

 

 

it’s too easy

 

saying

“the craft” 

 

defines

thing-in-itself

 

unique

to current instance:

 

 

but how otherwise

assess

 

the given syntactic

the visual plane

 

the page

where pacing can be articulated

 

 

 

 

 

(4)

 

 

 

 

it seems that it’s always

the same setting out, the same

standing still in the one voice

looking at it: 

 

                   hello again.

ears not chooned to listen

outside of the word,

                  to skate between

and away from the trampo-

 

line

 

and does it matter? maybe not:

let’s head off together in this

little soliloquoy:

 

play some music if you’re lucky—

if that’s who you are, today

 

 

 

 

 

(5)

 

the way of it

is not always forward:

 

it can sometimes

be less than that which you admire;

 

but being there, with it

or is it on it, who knows

 

eventually

the thing itself, is:

 

this the way

it occurs

 

 

 

 

 

(6)

 

why it should be this way

                          god only knows

if there was one—or many

 

whoever invented this position

this way of being

                         —living on the page

 

in a voice that nobody knows, nor

wants to know: who invented it,

who invented all this

 

this at least we do together                              

                        not

“the royal we”           you know...

                        but

 

 

 

(7)

 

 

this is the way

I think we want it

to operate: not

 

crowding the page

as some larger font:

 

but using simply

that which seems

easiest on the eye,

 

having in mind

the relative possibilities

 

of particular spacing, hallmark

of that lowercase tradition

we long admire

 

 

(8)

 

 

turning salty

the way

the unknown

 

which way

turns

listening

 

partly

the waters

undivided

 

 

between

the self

beckoning

 

back again

 

(9)

 

 

 

various

the abstract

 

climbs down

reckoning

 

always never

the same, whenever

 

it lands itself

meaning taken

 

over, moving

over and out

 

(10)

 

turning around

and around

finding

 

the only

place left

 

the day

the page

 

another one

 

(11)

 

 

the day

closes

 

it comes

to its way

 

of

this being

 

the end

 

 


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