this poem is a wormhole,
a dimensional shift, an anarchy,
a nonexistent thing asserting itself
there is no inherent orientation in outer space
only an expanding universe, accelerating
a phantom energy driven expanse
illuminating a bestiary of metamorphosis
nebulous, interchangeable creatures
viewed from subsuming positions
encoding a matrix of symbols
laciniate selves emerging
from the mysteries of geminating galaxies
supernovas of nuclear fusion transmutation
———- birthing and destroying ————–
a disorientation at the event horizon
terminating in elegant effigies ingloriously askew
amidst the gracile lines demarcating existence
metaphrastic missives from dark energy
an unraveling poetic exegeses
it is unknowable and unseen
dancing these helical truths
pneumatological enigmas of stochastic intimacy
in an explosion of probability theory
systematic errors of passion
improbable actions inventing equations
expressed by carbon fueled mouths
digressions of regurgitated sense impressions
from a finite point in space
picturesque idioms torn asunder
by the slings and arrows of a native tongue,
lightening that tears at the veil
constructs and deconstructs perplexities
that tremble with human sensibilities
Derrida’s post-structuralism
exposes and undermines the oppositions
hierarchies and paradoxes:
signifier/signified; sensible/intelligible;
writing/speech; passivity/activity
liquid modernity’s tentative position
cloud construction of identity
which imagines a neutral mode
of writing (existing)
veridical paradoxes, congeries of the strange,
margin notes and shadow expressions
cantos in the wilderness without compass points
husk and kernel unite
unsaying every word
in indented continuations
cave paintings and charcoal outlines
of the same lamentation
all artifacts of the passion:
Kierkegaard’s desire to discover something
that thought itself cannot think
ancient pearls embedded in glacial time
these round numinous volumes,
clay surfaces formed of pounded stardust
howling waterfalls of half-life elements unwinding
constructs in the fourth dimension
curved space departing Euclidean geometry
threshold frequency erects the base
a foundry of hollow spaces
where precept and concept unify
an intentional dementia
impenetrable fortress of subjectivity
mastery and transgression merged
into something perpetually
lost in translation
aleatory insights resounding
in a multiplication of caesuras
semantic slippage and resolution
birthed in unimaginable articulations
accretion of allusions weighing upon poetry
morphing electroacoustic transducer
interrupts echolocation, dislocatingting
signifier from its denotata,
disrupting the patterns of semantic relationships
speech acts like a convoluted telekinesis
positing thought invents language
superflat eye disfigures
this universe of enactments as
poetry collapses, excises novelistic tendencies
so poets become geometers of dismemberment
lacerating with erotic precision
spinning an elaborate manifesto:
produce without possession
envision freedom from rationality
educe a contradistinction
gather the cipher and the subtext
and integrate a secret sharing scheme
excel but do not lead your thoughts
breathe, decrypt the psychological schemas
act without premeditated expectation
be the paradox of noise within the silence
assimilate the workings of the universe
puzzle out an esemplastic theorem
unlock strategies of liberation
allow entropy to overpower existence
be an echo in the caverns, stealthily passing,
an imperfect processor with selection bias
questing for an oracle of algorithms,
embody a fading murmur, trace the interstices,
become a ghastly literalness of absence –
all states are possible in the end
NOTES: This was written for my Meeting the Bar: Wild Beasts prompt at dVerse.
All states are possible in the end … that sums it up succinctly, after a cosmic flood of words and galaxies bursting with images and thoughts … wow, you went all out! 🙂
a wormhole…energy driven expanse…all states are possible in the end…so true… there’s so much energy that causes us to write… i think if you could make visible what happens in the brain and the emotional center of a person while writing, it would be amazing.. love how you made the images and imagination spin…
wow…we found the other side of the wormhole…smiles…and all is possible…smiles…these prompts are made just for you anna…you def embrace the style in much of what you write…def very creative….the math dude in me loves all the refs you wove in there for that…wicked flow and fluid thought and imagery…
First reaction: This doesn’t sound like your usual tone — it seems a bit more direct. The first few stanzas seem like statements. And the last lines on the manifesto seemed instructional.
It does seem true that poems are best neutral. Yet they aren’t. There’s something on a very thin line, in between saying it and showing it. The magic of feelings and ideas going through on its own just writing on an object even when not expressing feelings in the poem.
I think these lines seem to say it best:
“”
Kierkegaard’s desire to discover something
that thought itself cannot think
ancient pearls embedded in glacial time
these round numinous volumes,
clay surfaces formed of pounded stardust
howling waterfalls of half-life elements unwinding
constructs in the fourth dimension
curved space departing Euclidean geometry
threshold frequency erects the base
a foundry of hollow spaces
where precept and concept unify
an intentional dementia
impenetrable fortress of subjectivity
mastery and transgression merged
into something perpetually
lost in translation””
And after the “elaborate manifesto”… which imho, seems a bit too elaborate in its instruction, but the intention (after reading it a few times) is to set the course for the self to be aware of one’s feeling and views, whatever they may be and explore where they lead. Be comfortable with the chaos. 🙂
Opening stanza is stellar ~ Enjoyed the whole elaborate manifesto Anna ~ What I gathered is to find one’s own voice & use the native tongue ~
brilliant.
Love the idea of a poem being a wormhole…slipping through it to somewhere unexpected and echoing through caverns… feels like an exciting, if not a little scary interstellar journey!
Hey Anna – this is a wave of experimentation, a poem finding itself and poetry–it is like a gyre narrowing its focus to get to what it wants in this great big sea of thought/purpose/history/traditon/language–I especially liked this stanza–
picturesque idioms torn asunder
by the slings and arrows of a native tongue,
lightening that tears at the veil
constructs and deconstructs perplexities
that tremble with human sensibilities
certainly what happens! Whether we will it or not. Thanks, and thanks for great prompt. k.
There’s so much energy, imagery, wise words in this piece–very provocative.
My favorite lines by your poem:
disrupting the patterns of semantic relationships
speech acts like a convoluted telekinesis
positing thought invents language
Very powerful! your words and language create a universe like no other.
Fantastic write.
What inspired you to write this piece?
This includes excerpts from many of my experimental poems over the past three years. It is a chronicle of my attempts to create non representational poetry and parts of the philosophy that inform the work.
Excellent!
I like it very much.
say, when you get a chance check out my flarf-poem. You will laugh. 🙂