wjsullivan.net

Overloading the Machine

Encounter

in a full pot of insect and extant
in a cool inkstone to swirl it

with historic handle
where the characteristic is

issue is issue
shot out to receive again

on the dot in unexpected
rows they lazily ride

Bill Brad Larry
Mr. Davis

take the main drag north, or
is it down, where the dark

well you know
it's good to see you, so good to see you

smile last and long, the tune
to think of is whole note

I'll see you out
friends who run with

all the time
in their hands

And I think one way or perhaps two; it doesn’t matter // as long as one can slip by, and easily // into the questioning but not miasmal dark. // Look, here is a stance--- // shall you cover it, cape it? I // don’t care he said, going down all those stairs // makes a boy of you... //

-- John Ashbery, from "From Estuaries, from Casinos" (Hotel Lautréamont 1992)