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Ammons,A.R.,1926:Garbage(1993)

[fromGarbage(1993),Norton]
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988inyourendismybeginning,Irepeatalso,
989myendmyendis,infact,yourend,inaway:
990arewenotboundtogetherbyourends:andwhen,
991endtoend,ourendsmeet,thenwebeginto
992seetheendofdisturbingendlessness:unity
993doeswhatunitycan:whilepreservingtwo
994itaccordsinmutualityamistwonderfullyand
995onefullycomingtogetherinahwell,why
996entailsophistry:airandearthjoin,asyouhave
997oftenread,viasculptedstoneonahighplatform
998oftheOldPeak:weightatgreatheightfines
999outintoakindofbuoyanceandone'sfeetfeel
1000slipperyandgroundless:thematerial
1001spiritualizesandlockstoneandairmeet
1002cordiallywithahighlustclampingonetotheother:
1003Imustbeatthecruxofthematter:Idonot
1004feelIcangoon:progressionliesdowninthe
1005ditchesofinpouringdoubt:Ithinkofthistape
1006(thisisanothertape,alittlewider,justabout
1007pentameter)astheshowboatchurningdownthe
1008Mississippiwiththebanks,thefastcurrents,
1009thesandbars,drenchingsthatis,itisgoing
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1010down,likeitornot,andIamlikeananalyst
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1011orcriticofactionorbehaviorIamsaying,
1012issheintoherdepthdidshepackinenough
1013fueltomakeitshouldn'tyounudgethebow
1014atouchstarboard:andsuchlike:such
1015as,whyisshedoingthiswheredid
1016she,andwhen,acquirethissenseofmission:
1017Iknowboatsdon'thavesensesofmission:
1018butyouweregoingalongwithit,weren'tyou:
1019I'mafraidayawwillgetoutofhand
1020andthesternwillswingaroundonthebow,and
1021we'llbewheelinginreverse,asifin
1022reverse,inordertoprogressforwardbackward:
1023itdoesn'treallymatter:hurricaneshavehit
1024inlandfarenoughtodriveboatsofanysize
1025rightuponrivershores:andboatshavehadto
1026waitweeks,attimes,forrainorforawall
1027arrivingdownstreamfromafloodelsewhere:
1028IreadLifeontheMississippialongtimeago
1029andthoseboatswerehardertosteerthanthis:
1030still,it'sroughforanyoneinafog,and
1031marktwainsallovertheplacearehardly
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1032reassuring:butit'sokay:we'regoingfar
1033awaysoonintospace,andshipswillroll
1034andenmeshmentsofasteroidsorstellardust
1035confusespeed:itdoesn'tmatter:we'llget
1036seedoffthisprimordialhulkbeforewedrown
1037itinthrowaways:wehaveaspiritthat
1038clearsaftereverystupidity,designstreadsfor
1039offroaders,matchestherightbacteriumtothe
1040rightpoison:Ijustwishneanderthalwerestill
1041here:Iwouldhavelovedthoseruggedlittle
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1042fourfootfellows:imaginehavinganest
1043ofworkersdowninthebasement,sturdylittle
1044whippersnapperstorunerrands:firstthingyou
1045knowthemuvahsarefuckingyourmother,inlaws,
1046so,somuchforneanderthals'briskhardnuts:I
1047thinkI'matthecruxrightnow:Icanhardlythink
1048orthinkofhardlyathingtosay:I'vesearched
1049mymindforswervesofnarrative,minor
1050assemblagesofincidentonastring,emblemsof
1051theshapesofactions,theessentialdisplaying
1052thenewspapery:sometimes,justwhenyouthink
1053thespiritisgoingtorise,somethingelsedoes:
[Page66]

1054life,lifeislikeapoem:themomentit
1055begins,itbeginstoend:thetensionthis
1056establishesmakeseverymoveandmoment,every
1057gapandstumble,everyglideandrisesignificant:
1058foriflifeorpoemwentdribblingendlessly
1059on,whatidentifiablearcormeasurecouldit
1060clarify:withinlimitsthemadethingaccepts
1061itsrevelationanddissolution,itscomingand
1062going,beginningandending,beingandnonbeing:
1063thepoemmovesthroughthesmoothorastonished
1064beginning,thetakingonofengagementand
1065complication,thegatheringupofdirectionand
1066possibility,andthefallingoutandfading
1067away:thisisallsoreasonable,wesometimes
1068wonderwhygrieftellsussowewantedtocling
1069tobeing,thegoodthings,oh,thegoodthings,
1070butinreallifeasinrealpoemsclarifying
1071form,suchasthebeginningandendingofthe
1072triptoMexico(withthemiddleatSanMiguel
1073deAllende,doublemiddledbyaweekinMexico
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1074City)areminorformswithinlargerconstructs
1075notsoclear:bigsegmentscrackoffsay,
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1076whenyoumovedfromAllentowntoAlbuquerque
1077orwhenthedivorcefirstwasnamedgiving
1078youimpressions,amongothers,ofirrelevancies,
1079hackedupintuitions,butalsofalse,tosome
1080extent,notionsofrecencyyourlatedeparture,
1081thehouseyoujustsoldandwhenthatis
1082blankedoutofmemory,lifeisshortenedand
1083youareyounginanewtime,purelocallyrics
1084coexistentwithwhatappearstobeawhole
1085shambles,theshamblesquestioningthelyric
1086outofeasyshape,andthelyricproviding
1087intervalsofsymmetryinthejumbledenlargement,
1088butitissubservientwhenartimitateslife
1089artmakeslife,justasitmakesitself,an
1090imitation:artmakesshape,order,meaning,
1091purposewheretherewasnone,ornonediscernible,
1092nonederivable:life,too,ifitistohave
1093meaning,mustbemademeaningful:ifitisto
1094havepurpose,itspurposemustbedivined,invented,
1095manifested,heldto:awallowisawallow:
1096whoknows:everythingheremaybemeaninglessly
1097prevalentsoastogiveusthepotentialof
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1098making'srange:whenwebawloverour
1099predicamentwemerelyaccuseourselves:why
1100mustweansweruptoreality,whenwecan
1101axlerealityintoourillusions:not
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1102delusionalillusionsbutjustthe"turn"
1103towardthepossible,thehope,thetrust,the
1104belief:oh,well:argumentislikedining:
1105messwithanicedinnerlongenough,it'sgarbage.

NOTES
1. Back^1
PublishedbyNorton

Copyright1993byA.R.Ammons.
Copyright19962015ProQuestLLC.Allrightsreserved.

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