karakostas, dimitri: oracle

aries

act two

perfect timing

from the greek:

agape, eros, philiautia, storge, ludus, pragma

our lives in order,

at least the words describing it

lay your feet on me

tell me your sex dream

and go back to sleep

textbook morning forgetfulness

joy in the face of death

you threw a lit cigarette in the garden

feigned surprise at your scorched sunfl owers

of your new mysticism

I’m superstitious

you can’t really help it

free will, predetermination

I think I’m trying to explain reality

everything too late clock unchecked

barely any time left for songs

the burden of the bird’s daily work

losing oneself in intimacy

blacked out on your back

elsewhere lovemaking we imagine

staying in my blind spot

you can’t write your poem in love

in this house

revisiting ‘america’ unlikely

dancing between stimulation

and that word that means numbing

we looked into the future and saw nothing

again

nothing infi nity

blocking the door 20 cigarettes a day

long walks with closed mouths

the list of pro’s and con’s

love is war,

sex is friendly fi re

the options:

fall asleep

stay awake

the wages of indiff erence is whatever

bad choices

what am I trying to say

the bottom 5th to top 8th

putting a dalmatian mix until my hands are oily

a friend to many dogs

someone claps

slowing down,

not wanting to feel it in the morning

one day not drunk

the sunrise is fucking gorgeous, you

I’ve survived this already

the new lessened you

grinding into hips

somnambulist love dance

I’m being sensitive again

but you have my attention

I was so tired yesterday

fi re walk away from me

eleven degrees

drizzling

just wanting something warm

something to make me smarter

I’m almost done with this book

I’ll fi nish it when I get there

boiling water

thrown off the balcony

watching it turn to fog

over and over

a certain anxiety yellow assembly

seemingly at random

seemingly

unrealistic research

confi dent take care of yourself

most vandalized ca va?

paintings make themselves

well, not really

I make them, sure

but I mean, it already existed

yeah

a novel idea:

in love, real job, cat

wants a better future

worry, stress

ideas I don’t execute

we don’t go out no more

stain my dna

déclassé

post poetry

apres-poemes

after poems

as biographer,

as observer,

as voyeur

camus the goalkeeper

nos amours

I hope he washes his sins in lemon juice

it’s possible to rewrite your memories in a victimized light

tights pulled down lower

I don’t know the ropes

always take your time when returning my calls

it remains severe

phantom suggestion

vanishing kept kissing hands slipped upskirt

with the executioner’s back was turned

not irrational,

unconditional

sensitive left unread

all conceptual art exists as a proposition

useful, not beautiful

needed, not necessary

when I am drunk, I google defi nitions of words I use

just to make sure I am using them right

“proposition”

I want to be with you forever

that’s a statement

a statement is a proposition

these are the important facts of life

the what?

the important facts of life

the important facts of what?

yeah

I’d know those legs anywhere

from behind

or the side

Aristotle had the claws

this life isn’t bad, I’ll make sure it’s okay for you

my cat likes you, “our” cat, sorry

le nec plus ultra de

un peu plus diffi cile

le multiple n’est jamais seul

qu’elle aime le plus

ne me laisse plus jamais seule

I’m looking good on paper

revenge: a healing journey

life poor, die rich: a plan

let us consider the process

ploys, feints, manipulation

nevertheless, continued sighs

can’t live with them,

can’t live without them

can’t live

generalized anxiety seduction

all else being equal, quotations

diffi culty existing

short hours awake

pomegranate seeds stuck in teeth

makes me your man

cab fare is in your coat pocket

fuck you, I’ll take the bus

insolent like no one else

your fi rst love’s love

your fi rst love’s fi rst lover

the pain of anxiety,

as in the bliss of desire

green tea is great for your teeth

thought blocking

I prefer you as a distant friend

rather than a close enemy

not functioning well

splinter kiss shoulders

mild structural crush

an extended period of time

east coast but temporary

Yorkshire gold tea

two sugar one cream

we’re doomed,

naturally

written, wry

pot of gold agreeable adjective

don’t you have anything valuable

left on those lips of yours?

you always have a home with me,

it seems

the cat must have slept on my jacket

I smell like the cat slept in my jacket

nobody mentions it

for someone thinking about the same things

over and over

you are awfully scatterbrained

hopscotched too much

overheat and restart

a poor job of staying lovestarved

what’s it matter,

I’m nobody here

yeah, and the sky full of stars

is too distracting

the example laid before you

now lies in your bed

you’re used to the smell of nothing

but yourself and now the air

accuses us of wasting time

black hair discontent

black eyes disinterest

sweating charm that puts us soundly to sleep

life without measure

I’m dying –

or at least trying

secular god impostor ourselves

fi x and make it better

there is no other path

words are no gift

and talent a silly homonym for

hard work

never on a map but my own

all funeral air

working on something that will never be fi nished

fi rst witness this critically

water stain memory

I wish I knew you then

and now

the landscape lingers

lower calorie

moderate fat

moderate carb

high protein

diet

some untraceable hand

reliable, ambitious, sensual

stubborn, lazy, possessive

naïve,

but use me

take it easy

but take it

from a cute face

in a slightly too January way

incidentally

thanks for all the hard work

googling myself

until the reaction is diff erent

when this has all calmed down

the horror of a life

passing by easily

sit and wait purity

that experience

in precise terms

how do I drink eight glasses of water a day

let’s say little accidents

“mauvaise foi,”

bad faith

get straight to the point

a real joy

defending infi nity

covering one’s tracks

quick

before bed

name three things you appreciate

six things before breakfast

rapidly exhausting

waiting for the moment

public apology novelty

cursed feet curiously

“amour fou”

the proof ?

“life is elsewhere”

(who said that fi rst?)

various positions

persuaded things will get better

wash the sheets for me

wednesday

no trouble believing

the sun is out

daydreaming celine

in a fever

let’s shout “I love you”

triumph of the will style

not the journalist in bed

licking your lips

I am itchy

sleepy shower baby

grab me by your history

we all make mistakes

it’s gotta be invisible

remember?

clean your fl at listening not much

barely attention paid

barely existing

the weather was nice,

however

right before the end of the day

mention your trouble sleeping

another city fl ashback

which one way should I go today

or saturday

half-closed eyes

laying in the grass

in the sun

everything you think disappoints me

if not arbitrarily

your mysterious certain celebrity

somber and righteous

I suspect I’m off to a bad start

translated from the French

imagining you waiting for me

but not sleeping

everything you say can me used against you

Marxist identity jealousy

false modesty

materialist horror story

touching without recognizing

my way of being half-present

the presence of mind

being good

I’ll never write my confessions

it’s only a job that pays the rent

an apocryphal thesis

singular passion

precision

personal information

sex maniac looking back

visualize your own death

becoming public knowledge

probably a pity

the day I stop being bipolar

mathematical balance

SSRI til I die

yawning lunch beer haven’t eaten

deep down biography

fi ctional nothing there story

cowboy comedy

famous not recognized

nice girl fi rmness

making words happen

adjusting doom

apocalyptic visionary

as far as the eye can see

hands submerged into soil

undeniably something has happened

things are better and better

the coherence of all that

new thrill spirituality

too charming ultimately

mischievous opinion magnifi cent

not far from what I think today

prominence radiant

gesture and trance

highly unstable fi ve minutes to spare

change your speech,

change your destiny

aesthetic practice pursued seriously

your vision too bright

eyes cross until there is nothing left

looking up despite the breeze

alienation made pathological

your drama

too quiet to notice

the greek exit

the source, a coup

secrecy

tantamount to suicide

I don’t believe in the dialog

eleven eleven

green, blue, green

concentrating hard

dizzy sparkling wine limits

for certain

an indiscretion

a meeting with the oracle

saving time

dropping dead on the piano keys

healing fascination

leaving the vacation early

a long, brutal list

good stories

yes, I counted sometimes

mood improving

yawn, don’t leave

well, meet me for lunch please

my phone may die but you know where I’ll be

diabetic foremost virtue

it’s been established

yet the sky hasn’t fallen on me

roused towards caffi ne and ecstacy

emerge from this conversation serene

wait and see

in the meantime

don’t touch anything

aura failing

fresh juice marking time

a line, alone

gone baby gone

the actual act recited from memory

citizen science

it wasn’t important

needlessly metaphysical

no other way to put

except put it behind you

astonished at your pillow sweet

exclusively highly desirable

if you ask me

emotional cv on display

but love me anyway

lol, ok

who died and left you alone, huh?

kaleidoscope deja-vu craved

cocktail bright divinity

to-and-fro

never miss a yellow

you can see a disaster

off the balcony

no disrespect but every day is easter sunday

whatever measures you take

cloudy dismal grey

golden age

extemporaneously

high tide enthusiasm

sitting on the ruins of sensations

can I be sure I succeeded?

absence coexist

I am somewhere else

while the refl ection turns beautiful

old or new employees

eastern seaboard fi elds

class b heart beat

knowing me

where were we?

oh yes, alsatian riesling

never found again last one standing

no Jackie Onassis

useful jewel

laconic honesty initiative

if all but made up

feet in the fi re

at my age?

the trauma we almost made a page without

cloudy sky daytime for your own sake

responsive to energy

whatever that means

align your chakras and call me in the morning

make the experience move for you

variably

distract me clinically

don’t look

blink distractedly

sins less exciting

no fi rst furious

lucky or lately, lady

rendezvous-ending

apologizing

the last memory of you smiling

abstinence based addiction cures

how many things can you think about at once?

unconscious nausea

painting relaxed body

despite the whole page

the task at hand

consolations of masturbating

exacting answers more meaningless,

general

it’s what you do

weaker doses systematically

candy coated comfort

qualifi ed for the position

nervous cult of perfection

systems of punishment

clairvoyance

refi nanced serious life

orgasms of the garden party variety

amongst other facts

nevertheless,

this smaller advancing surface

recognized quite ordinary

“my place”

correcting myself

my earlier lines

less obvious points of crisis

what could I still discover?

bae,

bae?

always,

always?

the cultural vitality of this century

no good causes

left to fi ght

success or failure

demanding instinct later

clumsy, needed, further forward

0% me, that’s good

thank you

the last thirty years,

particularly

confi dent vision

forced to it’s knees

short-sighted

self-pitying

however approximate

delusion

demonstrated crudely

a mistake to make

signifi cance found

although quite thin

surely failed refl ecting

focal point retains it’s name

your patient self

familiar

repeating behavior

adjusting disappointment and drama

the insecure story never really stops

myth touches us strategically

whatever we have in common

a warped portrayal of ambition

if it really exists

“you’re impossible”

memory lapse

lexical excess

turn your love poem into

potential for agony

the stress seemed physical

for a native son

negligent company

more mindless and quiet

still awake at this hour

stretch out and learn to count

octave barrier

captive structure language

non-understood

dictated own execution

wearing the melody awkwardly

“I miss about you regularly”

certainty in certain examples

wrong words

mirror nervous

the world’s most wounded

fi rst spring dizziness seized

completely disinterested polarity

most everything

nothing but blue sky

economic dynasty

loved paradoxically

prescription glasses privilege

go hurt some feelings

recognize your tools,

successful person!

gently tremble sometimes

domesticate your daytime

over-sweeten tea

kiss me

more clear

intense cereulean midday

misguided hissy fi t

Buddhism doesn’t work for me

lilac-breath

dirty blonde

uncertain hands in pockets

intensely miserable pages

a good disguise

getting healthy

pleasure covering good work

such was promised

regardless,

curious about the Russian writers

the ones people usually talk about

ozymandias

yet to be decided

euthanize my desire for darker days

from fl ower to fl ower

how soon?

how late?

I am busy, therefore I am good

abandoned or overlooked

daily humiliation reputation

group laughter smug

eff ortless toxicology

similar complete

pharmacological phenomenon

a dramatic idea #5:

it’d be nice to be shot, but not die

beauty befi tting commercial value

vigilance plus exhaustion

mixing motives

in vulnerable contrast

raccoon-eyed

riding onward

understanding sunsets

dream inducing analysis

public smiling

you should see a therapist

if not blessed this lifetime

I double checked

all domestic joys + reciprocated love

relatively normalized stable existence

cycling fashionable discontent

on the other hand

disappointed optimist

renewal and denial

clever painter

endless relativism

totally productive consequences

forever looking around for the next bit of stimulus

what time is it?

the death of the party

the reward of the night person

if you believe that narrative

less frustrating awake

out of sync explaining

there you have it;

the answer to your question.

taurus

my memory is out of breath

“/”

every noun

a symbol for

another noun

I secretly love the stage fright

naïve, but use me

handcuff ed fuck you

mid-clinging Christ

everyday awareness

punctuated by loss

rest of my life

a signifi cant hex

faux raccord, false connection

painstaking simultaneous

glass artistry ecstasy

the fantasy of being beaten,

the fantasy of being loved?

wow, not for me

the shorthand version

it’s just dumb luck

all my humiliation

in obscure power

my breath stale

somewhere backwards

not so well made wisdom teeth

make no mistake

copper tasting spit

half-life blood taste

older yet

no varicose veins

evasive marks remain

the standard joke

a grim yet excited ultimatum

not sentimental

succession of sounds

ironically endorsing

vibratory disappearance

moaning excess of syntax

catherine wheel

calisthenics

upon further exploration

the work not working

a real “boom”

one’s own authoritarian tendencies

make me come, please

it’s too cold to leave

bare minimum, sweety

i misquote most routinely

endless

lovemaking melody

a fl ushed, tearful face

untranslatable, i think

ignoring the scene

spilling oil in the sea

praying, bent knees

proclaimed death

reserving energies

(i am exaggerating)

non-life threatening

in the safe zone of writing

my tender retaliation

consolations

showing proof of correction,

marginalized attention

sugar at the height of passion

“every witch has a cauldron”

you don’t exist

white wine familiar

identity spoiled again

stuck in no phrases

a serious opinion

“great work”

classic tragedy

conservative guise

summoned ecstatic

trailblazing misbehavior

of a serious woman

doesn’t drink too much

not anymore

daydreamy, i’m thinking

impulsive laws and logic

harsh lesson learning

italian go-getter blessing

stomach aches and other

important things

a simple collection

not telling everything but still,

strangle me

focused late night practicing

parallelism

you suckers

a pleasure no more

lily of the valley

splendid in pictures

charm exhaustion

esoteric precaution

etiquette

wild evidence

approached victory with ease

deliberate, clumsy

i’m sleepy, i’m sorry

more comfortably

seated feet wet

until there is nothing to be said

glimpse yourself into greater coherence

all implied freedoms

no longer visceral

in ways we barely notice

long, empty

space

taken for granted

elaborately democratic

i fi nd this fact problematic

it’s fair to ask

now that it comes to mind

one thing is certain

i know it when i see it

criticism and better judgment

portrayed in paintings

white washing vital work

coveted as recent exception

any principal can be proved

if you’re lucky

bruising, enduring

dormant future self-aware

memorizing praise

yet met with forgetfulness

the way it should be

emergent property

competing for control

forecasting rain

as long as the crowd is assembled

soft enough, wet enough

looking down onto it’s own possibility

singular, universal

personal problems

back on track

continuing history

more or less

repetition

in less haste

holy hypochondria

the indispensable condition

the fervor of love

sustained by spirit

a treatise being friendly and energetic

banal and aggressive

a lost opportunity

lacking accountability

still ideal,

a reconciliation seems unlikely

conscious of our singularity

particular problems hurry past

without anybody noticing

rarely exactly wrong

this always happens to me this way

not a sin, but still

a glimmer of the unreal

clear distinctions

lovely sovereign state

valuable address

the world at large

that sounds right

self-serious tragedy

spiritually, maybe

lavender incense daily

calming eff ects promised

did we leave together?

condescending or just staring

not quite not spring

still wearing sweater weather

lily left hand printing,

meaning?

more tattoos

and

i love you’se

come here if the seasons allow

thinking going nowhere

unassisted traditionally

smells of sudden money

in a good neighborhood

not a word of complaint

everybody has a better nickname

continues to amaze me

no control, the families of heroes

i am a sunbathing lizard

in religious texts

this is called “work”

be nice

turn your

suicide into sunshine

how do i get rich quickly?

i’m kidding

words similar to “existential doubt”

lower calorie

moderate fat

high protein

diet

again

keeping quiet because

why make mistakes before starting?

you worked on your writing

and walked home in the rain

you agree on one thing:

bisoux

part of a linguistic community

simply by virtue

and familiar encounter

misleading, all the more

you’re going home to clean your house

and probably masturbate

holding patterns

“what was i thinking?”

propped open mouth

embarrassed acknowledgment

concrete historical situation

fi tting conjunction

a particularly bitter logic

“i don’t know how to sing.”

defl ecting again

slant rhymes

cleverly we seek treatment

lie down and sober up

systematically advancing

constant forgery

again

not quietly, you

got caught up with the

get down

peaceful ritual

the failure of universal ambition

calculating until complete

stopping, waiting

dark from late september

do work, better

bound to end in trouble, if you think about it

asthma grid

geometric

trace remains

just geographic

apathetic, mostly

you were saying?

iron out the kinks in your theory

decently poor

shelf life

no matter how insistent

obnoxiousness thrives

little distinctions i shall list later

to be regarded in awe

still, not the type to visit a grave

leaving that to my mid-20’s

kiss discouragement on the lips

if everything goes to plan

not thinking, just quiet

observing fortune

and refl ecting

should have showered before leaving

regretfully

i fi nd myself pained due to these things

perhaps this is my purpose

secure, preserve

the decision has been made

clean the house

with podcast urgency

it is time for the plants to live outside

hopefully you are at the library

and you will be pleasantly surprised

“what a nice, clean house.

i am happy i live here.”

that’d be nice

after all,

i’m out of words for today

might as well work on something useful,

being useful

i’ll never learn how to build shelves

but i can dust picture frames

i am sure

gemini

no guts, no glory

suicide hotline boring

what we want to avoid

titling your poems as “poems”

all too inclusive hysteria

universal better than

generalized anxiety disorder

“au revior” pronounced “forever”

“he sure does miss her”

thought seemingly linear

close monitoring

would not be so fair

even discussing shame

seems practical here

scrolling through the timeline

community college

certain laughing

which memory your hair smells like today

frustration

pinecone being kicked northbound

post chia latte destination

the possibilities are endless,

who knew?

careless or carefree?

barely

i keep bringing my book out on smoke breaks

ambitious or obnoxious?

maybe

the to-do list evades me

behind on design deadlines

backing up external HD

all work is stupid to me

all very new and exciting

two weeks nothing but

yorkshire gold tea

limitations not frustrating

although problematic

safe sex

resting fi erceness

beard growing quicker april

sunshine, the cause?

mid-range roses

smelled in store

note: return to purchase later

clinical, medicinal

“i love you”

entering a pact, weather

keeps the lonely thoughts at bay

frizzy hair shoulder length

it’s the humidity

you’re lovely

to do:

steam the curtain, sheets

open all the windows

and yes,

i am lacking without you

still the most remarkable thing

the colors go all pretty

at the end of a dream

reason and passion

working together

hand me down

brilliant words

work or leisure

somehow both

or neither

however uncanny

i empty myself of songs

i lose my prose in your sheets

but now i can sleep

at least

take the time to see,

isn’t that what you told me?

as an ideal

realized in history

reminding myself

of myself

wise guys feeling warm it’s springtime

almost

still snow in solid blocks

on the corner behind my building

i imagine they’ll be gone by tomorrow

but that might be ambitious

upside down with hands up skirt sidewalk

the fun is over even if only a joke, joking

cheeks all red

six fl oors or more

smooth life warm climate red wine

couldn’t pick impatient

working on some new denied pleasure

encore

falling over each other

and over

arranging everything

good thing, memory

brief however hazy

tulips dead after two days

but it is a nice vase

elite sensibility

no sky hiccups

a habit

washed up, waiting

“boy, everyone is stupid except me”

chalky skin

charming, once you’re used to it

iodine word choosing

renewed a thousand graces

never twice in the same room

modest simple loving you

roses in delicate moments

as good as it appears

lipsticked neck pyramid imprint

pull out?

can’t

the vibrations faster

put us both to bed and back

a lot of time on my hands

and at the back of your throat

how long have we known each other?

forever

smiling all teeth wavy hair

no, the names are not accidental

slow introduction

prepared to ignore

passing fancy

systematic relations between

happiness and virtue

unlikable point proven

such guests complain about it

everything makes sense

usually, depressed

medicine insists

weight against luxury

a simple assumption

itself, rhetoric

the basic fact that things go wrong

life? what new possibilities?

considerably fewer resources

until i am capable of action

altogether absent

so so sorry

“you,”

excluded

natural reward never experienced

how to step away from progress

exterminate my enthusiasm

it supports itself fi nitely

the synthesis already exists

however

the function remains mysterious

moving from awe to understanding

shouldn’t this go on forever?

a more durable history

ataraxia, peace of mind

your poetics glossy

a misfortunate quality

spiritless boundary

possible future bliss

captivated courtesy

when i think of you in the city

or, more correctly

the very instant passed into eternity

everything is annoying me

appetite reducing supposedly

hydroxy-something

fucking chic

essentially

sparkling water

brandless white to-go coff ee

name a better duo, i’ll wait

obnoxious tourist neighborhood

mistaking thirst for meaning

oklahoma city bombing

is that what i’ve been describing?

open fi eld poetry or

post 9/11 sexting

whatever language can’t contain

the phenomenal, not actual

in love, we are equals

re: submission

persistent demand

back to back

let the weakness in this story

turn lovely

valuable beyond monetary

never be lonely

on my knees

or yours

existing outside what is recognized socially

but that goes without saying

we didn’t live much before we fucked

perfectly suited for our longing

some good small thing barely describing

everyone is worthy of love

as they say

who?

don’t bother showering before bed

just brush your teeth, instead

no erotic gesture

adidas sneakers

and sometimes panties

are just panties

right red hand

“merci” pronounced “messy”

smoking, black nylon legs showing

actually, gathering paradise

entering the museums they had wanted to fl ood

seeking natural defi nition

a better world

free of household dust and dander

bad attitude environment

no longer needed

socializing as a synonym

assimilating?

imagined alternatives satisfying

regarded as a winner,

winning

thanks to you,

darling

how to be of use,

useful

yes, i messaged my brother

but i didn’t say i’m sorry

for not talking to him

it wasn’t on purpose

i’m just forgetful

shot look of admiration

shrimp white wine fettuccine

dizzy, i’m thinking

aloe plant on living room table

it’s tuesday, eleven degrees, drizzling

meaning

curly hair mix up, i hear

“with your arms outstretched to me”

glad i am not dead, tbh

fi asco of life, right

not buying

behind the eight ball (they say)

strict management

skipped description

seems wasteful

wrong wording

long silence priority

crossing moss park

now completely raining

and

observing what is suggested here

this is how you behave?

fragile in a jiff y

everybody screaming

breaking down your new honest, truly

need to buy more candles

keep the negativity at bay

just like us

and the crystals

have you seen my crystals?

they were in your pocket when -

my pocket when i washed my jeans -

your pockets

a curious occurrence

circumstances blurring

walking towards the end of a life, right?

indirectness, the object

persistent thought

whatever worthwhile

rarely done with style

wow, you’re great

thanks for that

that was good

you, hopped the turnstile

you, spitting on the subway

you,

and your pretty eyes

inverse mine

starting hazelnut memorized

i’ll never understand what goes on

in that fur coat of yours

patient zero of my heart

that’s my name, don’t wear it out

terminally googling

all cracked iphone screens in heaven

cancer

i have changed my name

so often

a place, just out of the way

where cell phones aren’t the focus

painting endless portraits

force more analogies

whichever you focused

on mentioning

when you should be

maximizing your storage space

crowding words on every page

a sobriety

obscene stretch

aching but saying no

even that cigarette

after all, i am tomorrow

lead into error

squeezing your hand

i fall asleep at midnight

covered in mosquito bites

i’m sorry for smudging around

“were you talking to me?”

writing on your hand

to smell the ink

praxis, poesies

too loud shuffl ing items

on a desk but

no, there will be no miracles

the progress that supposedly helps us

old fashioned habits

invented, improved

everything can be forgotten

all my diff erent readings

someone is rigging the slot machines

and mcdonald’s monopoly is a scam,

too

we glorify the bankrobber

and someone says

“we’re onto you”

as if

“i know you prefer soft-serve ice cream”

an ugly, twisted look upon your face

“i don’t care for sugar, honey”

that which solved all diffi culties

out performing me

it doesn’t take long to forget

throwing out commonplace things

is the chenin blanc making me nervous

or the previous caff eine

backing up the backup

prohibition becomes obligation

should i be specifi c?

the memorizing arts

“did i really witness this?”

more expensive to repair

than to replace

of course

you can always burn your letters

my prediction is this:

kiss every set of lips

catalog arousal

all impulse linger

electric again and

“power”

“drones,”

someone talking about

whatever, i wasn’t

listening

shame, 2014

fi ll in the blank

little ink

kafka problems

like, lol

who’s really applying

for grant money

anyways

greek characters on a screen

must mean something

annex this and tell me

if it’s a song or not

what new catastrophe

needs singing?

idle in your museum

watching

perfect replica passion

a crate

with a label

indicating ownership

forgetful

not losing

back to the start

you gotta make it cascade, though

chimes, wind, that sort of thing

hygiene we pass by

talking of the real

horror, how to terrorize

that rude everyday

“rock and roll is dead”

minnesota attitude

don’t boo me

you know i’m right

don’t charge your phone

idk why it’s just a suggestion

pesticide, probably

or aluminum

or fl uoride

in the water supply

endless concern

a real scare

blame it on all this good work

the lines uh under my eyes

are practically writing all these poems

for me

some people never fi nd love

we will not be undersold

we beat competitor’s prices

the life of the party

the will to live

nobody means

“paris”

when they say

“paris”

they mean

“somewhere else”

that’s just what people mean

people who know everything

i was fed for free -

just paid for two drinks

and that’s good enough for me

vulgar composition painting

diet prada talking

maison martin margela

just pave over your past

“paris syndrome”

my previous incarnations include:

a cigarette

a kiss

a cat

a cure

a kaleidoscope of the void

god help me,

go slow

this is my method of waiting

suspicious of your habitual poetics

always something of an

“aesthetic experience”

pseudo

grey-gardens

messy-bedspread

relationship

victim kinking

stay off my side of the street

the one where the sun shines

angry scowling walking

fast “same”

and i’m quitting drinking for the 100th time this year

feeling faint in an indian restaurant

and they are out of okra

better budgeting

life’s soothing syrup

the rest of it

a vague fetish

two great feelings:

-falling in love

-leaving

le merveilluex

total everybody always

notions of paradise

unhinged with doubt

everything trembles in this weather

have not’s

massage the

have’s

intolerable nervous pains

not my fi rst escape

(or last)

she slept a lot

or i assume she slept a lot

the word “marvelous” again

you, somewhere else

perceptions of desire

familiar with eyebrows

and other things like prisons

allow me this time alone

maybe there is quiet self-sex on my mind

or that which otherwise gets done

when the talking stops

deja-vu

long fi nger trailing sunlight

sometimes i have no fucking idea what i’m talking about

feigned ignorant

deeply mythological

claimed brilliance

and of course,

nothing happens

except for a series

of long pauses

peeping tom

and bikes

end up stolen

i love you more than ever

than i ever could explain

daydream literally

a pleasant aesthetic

a word of romantic pasts

subcategory locked

complex since supervised visit

what was overlooked

continued

esoteric shock

prudish attitude

regarding sexuality

i didn’t like that last cigarette

i should try stopping again

just enough time

clarity of thought

the fi rst and the last

nothing can be done about it

time’s revenge

understood motives

sometime soon

what comes next

liberate memories

self-delusions of the defeated

what is your problem today?

requisite needs

idle clichés

unshifting truths

most lives

seems inconsequential

weeks and months

she just has a funny way of loving me

what is important often times isn’t obvious

stretching out towards doubt

unappreciated ecstasy

the right sized notebook

for whatever it is that i’m working on

extracting dna

from a refl ection

in a window

at least i’ve seen no eviction notices.

lucky

very

in fact, dull

sentence lapsing

the last straw is always drenched in poetics

if you can imagine it

satire that works

both ways

primary secrets

can we live this way?

what’s worth smelling

legs now cold in shorts

sunburn shining through

i could join you for a moment

or more

again

on the examination table

you know i love you

taking things rather seriously

penicillin will take care of it

go tell it on the mountain

euthanized the story

the reporting gets me home

you’ve got a brand new key

educated, yes

but with a lack of new information

i understand why you love montreal,

he said

it’s hard to organize things

the spider came back into the house

the spider you brought back outside

instead of killing

when you had the chance

pale at the beach

strawberry perrier

out of shape

forgotten

or rather chose not to do

3-4-5 hours

face down

reading essays

iphone 7 podcasts

medicine as fantasy

clearly, as advertised

recent replacements have proven

unsatisfactory

the desire to do everything

or absolutely nothing

a self confessing sundowner

couldn’t read another novel

claustrophobia

an equinox

a framework

creative quiet cool

delayed gratifi cation

paracetamol

passion past the meridian

a vague fetish

rest of it

correct,

awake at the wheel

and a coff ee

staring out the window

feeling physiologically safe

normal sadness and worry

into a treatable condition

pornography and feminism

now you have my attention

v for victory, fi ngering

acetate glasses

frame your face and

legitimize my desire

all expensive needs

out of control

a loss, anxiety

if not temporary

i cannot be severe

wearing shorts

rimbaud, 37

lautreamont, 24

which me is the most me?

setting unrealistic goals

so you don’t feel bad when you don’t achieve them

“I was being unrealistic”

you can always imagine a better life

“wouldn’t life be better if I had a four range induction burner stove?

everything would change.”

staying at home

maybe

an epic in procrastination

“research”

but what is in montreal

am I making a mistake

I might be it’s likely

not my business

who am I frustrated thinking of ?

so what if I’m wrong

I can’t imagine anybody being surprised

not that the bookstore is too far,

it’s just out of the way

and it’s raining

sometimes it’s hard to be at the library alone

nobody to watch your stuff while you smoke

so don’t smoke

right?

how hard is it to be happy for today

propranolol:

beta blocker

curtails adrenalin production

reduces the production of memories

rubber bands are kept above the cutting board on the second shelf

acalendrical anxiety

not bad

limited time off er

would you like some salad?

they were out of tabbouleh

plaque control whitening toothpaste

almost unparalleled contemporary popularity

Anxiety, Quebec

eligibility

seemingly an assembly

but not random

seemingly

but I don’t care to stray

these days

lately

sinus congestion

hungry, haven’t eaten

attended to errands barely

pick up things, coff ee

i’ve not really been interested in doing much

half of the reason why anybody lives in the city is to never leave the

city,

right?

it’s natural

losing focus staring out the window

with no music playing

a graceful exit

eating a banana chocolate chip muffi n

my stomach hurts

maybe I’ll die I hope not

sway my worries

the central drama of life

generally labeled “charming”

topography-as-destiny

welcome to the other side of intimacy

leo

fast forward twenty fi ve years

junior partner at a law fi rm

getting high

and accepting friend requests

but you don’t own a tesla in this fantasy

completely overwhelmed

observed by a third party

with the absence of a narrator

stendhal’s order

basic modesty

i assume

commenting on the future

point of view

oh, i’m anxious

i didn’t take my anxiety-stoppers

hopeless handyman bad

no sealant easy

i’m bad at these things

clearly in sight

soirée life sympathy

“i want you to be happy”

ok, work harder and smarter

take this energetic passion and fret not

remaining severe

identifi ed desire not leaving

a little too carelessly

sensuous becomes sin

something people fail to notice

the story is told about you

in an oppositional light

honestly, i fi nd myself quite tired.

you, phone buzz needs to relax

disappearing at the decisive moment

before the eyes of

it’s speculative devotee

every later denial

quantitative measurable identity

all terror seizing

recommended punishment

silent seductive charm

overstepping the bounds

yet not of guilt and sin

ignore the fact

thoughtlessness grasped

eager longing

from the other side

essentially alike

great, a trial

boring fi ction and attention

the concept of modesty

for this reason, a repose

a tranquil exclusion

bringing unexpected heaven

walking forward blindly

the most alive tulips

are the ones i’m looking for

i’m thinking about you

thinking about having a daughter

it’s likely, based on our numbers

your wordiness is impressive to people

$5 words, yeah

reading, working, writing, researching

four things i like, right?

wasting time: a writer’s guide

nonviolent working class criminals live forever

pray continually

protect the summer fl owers

at all costs

the level of devotion

brings me to tears

by the throat

without known lovers

PH-diffi culty

i’ll never learn to drive, probably

still, i’m of considerable value

hands folded in lap,

legs crossed

there is never enough time

to windex mirrors

to love forever

untold

future

feel free to associate

tell me something i don’t know

time, period

and after a long hiatus,

honey dipped

it’s just about to start happening

my whole life, immediately thinking

i miss you too quickly

friendly city hygiene

syracuse had been not the best

wind blowing east, north, west

trade it for prosecco

a novel with an apocalyptic setting

it’s really no decision

don’t write me letters about it

can i move to another table?

one out of the sun, ideally?

cracking mystery capsule into water

swirl, sip, more water

massive success for a short period of time

it’s hard to know what your dreams mean

only when you are here

do i stop thinking

we are silent, for example

lithograph happy

striking at fi rst sight

ignored

asked about crying

somethings exist without me

allergen proof bedroom

particular easy to sleep in

for some reason

head close to window,

feet pointed at the door

lysol perimeter baseboards

it terrifi es me

nature, trees

the rest

time goes by fast

nonetheless

middle class background

the thought of being abandoned

what are you getting at?

vulnerability

i feel under the weather, i’m sorry

well, don’t take it out on me

this is how people speak

passing each other,

smiling

but it’s a habit

soft spoken same tones

quite close to convincing

where did you two meet?

sitting straight, painfully

at any age

happy,

i mean at ease

slow, diffi cult writing

almost oppressive

don’t you agree?

pausing

that’s what i think

legs stretched to nowhere

you get used to the noise

bluegrass

answers made desperate

ok, you’re right

i shouldn’t have said that

gentle, sublime

why do i keep saying the word

“narrative”

stuck as fuck

need some

chaise-lounge-kind-of

psychology

you can’t be cross with me

why?

history

staggering slightly

leaving soon

if you’d like me

completely

trying to smile at strangers

when i have kids, maybe

then again,

maybe not

cut down the trees to print the new york times

cold immediacy

pleased and secure companionship

entirely fuckable

compersion, or having a story

touching me

in honor of the auspicious

full moon

disaster capitalism

smiling looking serious

fi fty words for “mackerel”

but no words for “love”

that old saw

showing up at the same time

ceremony

who brings a baby into a coff ee shop?

let me back up

eager for dharma enlightenment

once more

lotus eater

criminal nonpracticing

smoke up the summer sky

no missed calls

a historian

a scientist

a dilemma

“the arts”

or its more sober cousin

it’s not as awful as it sounds

a little dark,

a little downtown

i want to be ravished

ruin my clothes before work

please

stop it you’re killing me

East Coast capitalized

too beautiful for math

the highest number of published poets

per capita

on earth

not a happy ending

on the fi rst try

nice in general

you and me

blanche dubois

“love on the brain”

$25 jameson irish whiskey

at the duty free

the big bottles, even

nose still bloodied

fi fth day running

t-shirt kleenex

brought me here

the best medicine

some of your

lacy white cotton panties

the cruelty of my day

smiles nobody answered

or asked for

can i tell you something i’m not into?

syllable pairing

always lowered head

gestured “might be done here”

what to wear while spending three hours

at the coff ee shop

reading

dignity keeping

ones and twos and threes

prophilia

meaning nothing i’m aware of

shocked

certainly not

killing the fl u

how do you do it?

hangover shame formality

stomach ache fi zzy water

dawn to dawn

shutters drawn

never agains

this bike is too small and dangerous

no it isn’t

we shall be enough, all

oh, how darling

we can swim with the dolphins for $45

when we describe taxes

000000

major forehead wrinkles

don’t act like you’re the VIP

all inclusive resort boring

realized part of your potential

virgo

why are you crying at the bar?

because i don’t want to kill myself

defi cient, emotionally limited

the situation

it was the fernet

or the sparkling gamay

ok, sure, i have feelings

that need to be loosened

neglected skill sets

long, dark hair

thinking about sex

you, more tanned in a few weeks

cava seleccion raventos rose

give it a try

genius or betrayal

handsome fuckably boring

advisory committee

staring out the window

ennui

and the coff ee isn’t helping

butterfl ies, disasters

to survive

you can’t be sentimental

nobody gets a prize for reading the most books

another severely iconoclastic dream

your time will come

presumably we are talking about death

famous last words:

what do we do now?

i have one foot in the,

uh, in the,

away from here

eyes dry

looking too hard or suspicious

paying to please

being negative

world of pain

sin or otherwise

the words

“fuck off ”

horribly soft nasty things

the genuine article

a college education

a thunderstorm soothing

if not the trigger

we regard them as separate

focusing again on the necessary

backseat sitting

a list of things i want to steal:

-strawberry jam

-2x relish, 1x mustard

-paleta

-sardines, i’m not sure

before it rains

may 68

how many roses

seven?

naturally

turn the music down,

what,

four stops?

let’s play truth or dare but

just truths

barbarism on any face

between the plan and the market

add visionary rimbaud

reclining on a futon

designer left bank

liters of serotonin

staring at the beach

staring at the sand

me, the dog running towards you

tail wagging

a subject i’d rather stay away from

source of disappointment

easy to describe

no history

prevented thinking

object of desire

reduced productivity

narrow interest in doing so

confronting gaps in honesty

it is important to be loved

how you want to be, ideally

push it

stay nasty with me

just having fun

i don’t focus like i used to

red black and purple, you

lying like an eye witness

whitman’s long lists

research, catalogs

habitually not complaining curse

holy at diff erent times

smiling, sun, facts

closing my eyes

hearing my heartbeat

embarrassing power

dylan, greenwich village, hair

shared acknowledgment

no strings original writing

not accessible

you can’t hypnotize darkness

808’s and essays

practicing

pumping toward death, decline

latex allergic

i’ve never dated someone with blue eyes

don’t get angry

when it’s convenient

for your family

i’ve never been too good at most things

a sense of destiny

emptiness as a destination

a prism

my offi ce for the rest of the summer

asking for water fi rst

born in the city

existing solely

holy mountain suspicious

refreshing the text message screen to confi rm you ignoring me

i wanted to be home by dark

i wanted to do something useful

instead

geographic trigger lost

spent money

again, it’s nothing

as long as you’re happy,

i’m upset

don’t make this about belonging,

being

my nose bleeding easy

defending elsewhere,

eternity

a national identity

doesn’t concern me

pitch dark legibility

drama as opportunity

a nightmare where i couldn’t fi gure out

the best way to kill myself

if i hear another cell phone ‘ding,’

i swear to god

fuzzy mirror vision

this seems purposeful

sans toi

walking past blindly

so many things without a name

it’s hard to write

gin and tonic

help me to understand

every photograph a catastrophe

the sun and the moon

i don’t think we’ve waited in line

at the pharmacy

so much

a lou reed

not personally

irritable still

dry mouth chance encounter

as if they’ll know

each other all their lives

i’m not in the position to be working

destinationless

just sight-seeing

forgetting my manners

shower, hangover, horny

fall asleep reading

one dangly earring

mutually evolving

whatever, i feel awful

buying more books than i hate time to read

deader than julius caesar

now i’m just being careful

legitimate diffi culty

not breaking news

but we still need to eat

karakostas, dimitri

Thursday, October 3, 2019

oracle

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