Monday, August 25, 2014

Screen Dump 112

But then the loose ends . . . you know? . . .
with what's his/her name threatening to push the envelope . . .
Your autobiography . . . unplugged . . . off limits . . .
to the general public . . .
and the inscrutability . . . a turn on . . .
maybe even more so . . . for you . . .
It's one thing to say you'll follow through . . .
The audience on the edge of their seats . . .
Of course there will be googling . . .
And you . . . for affect was it? . . . mumbling hints . . .
as only you . . . the quintessential tease . . .
with a twist of lime . . . could . . .
finessing the move as you mirrored yourself . . .
Fragments of ancient statuary . . . cluttering your mind’s walk-up . . .

David Benoliel

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Screen Dump 111

A smattering of inconsistencies . . . your hands are not yours . . .
At twelve, you were fingered . . . for something . . .
I'll be right back . . . I need to check the playbook . . .
The solitary cyclist from the sideshow . . .
followed by herds of doubters . . . dressed to kill . . .
You've been identified as a player-at-large . . .
Here's the part where he/she asks a question . . .
The takeaway is anything you desire . . .
It's a type of sleight-of-hand . . . the type we all fall for . . .
The playlist jams . . . the silence dumbfounding . . .
Filling the gaps . . . haphazardly . . . is a cheap shot . . .
You inhale the room . . .
Unbeknownst to the rest of the cast . . .
Who have left the scene (of the crime) . . . in a New York minute . . .

Paolo Roversi

Friday, August 22, 2014

Screen Dump 110

Lip-sync acts of contrition . . . Sus palabras son mis palabras, yes? . . .
with attitude . . . and opulently attractive subscriber . . .
Practice the left hand first . . . over and over . . .
Over and under . . . the giveaway . . .
The relief . . . neither contented nor plangent . . .
I can see forever! . . .
Continue, please . . . into the next scene . . .
Stem the fat tide of amateurish, insensitive nightmares . . .
As opined by the jilted late night visitor . . . circumnavigating your bed . . .
notebook in hand . . .
Tell me how to lose myself! . . .
Demijohns and pottery bottles . . . notwithstanding . . .
filled with silvery dried honesty . . . and limited repeats . . .

David Leslie Anthony

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Screen Dump 109

All the strangers came today . . .
          - David Bowie, Oh, You Pretty Things! (1972)

Hickory Dickory disappeared . . . into a maelstrom of iPhones . . .
And opened with an (under)cover band in Erie, Oklahoma . . .
This is not America! . . .
so you start the day . . . as a whirling dervish . . .
with a promise to be all you can be . . .
Spotted deer join you . . . for a rehearsal at an archaeological dig . . .
It's all very innocent, yes? . . .
Especially the painted pines . . . and the puzzled man . . .
in the corner of the room . . . questioning your motives . . .
You have five minutes . . . six, maybe . . .
You step on the gas . . . and speed away . . .
Between the first and second stanza, you glance at the side camera . . .
This scene will be re-shot . . . n number of times . . .

David Leslie Anthony

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Screen Dump 108

And what are you?
          - Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

Is the answer in the laminated hardcovers in the library? . . .
Or with the dust bunnies under the couch?
Are you the eggman? . . .
Haven't you forgotten something? . . .
Why bother? . . .
Have you turned the page? . . .
Or a new leaf? . . .
Do you ever drive around aimlessly? . . .
Or find yourself elsewhere? . . .
Are you in the moment? . . .
Where were you on the evening of the 27th? . . .
Are all your ducks in a row? . . .
Were you able to get a word in edgewise? . . .
What about the tandem? . . .
And the line drawn in the sand? . . .
Do you have a moment to spare? . . .
Or the time? . . .
Would you like to begin again? . . .
Or start over? . . .
Is this a photo op? . . .
Have you ever tried to make do? . . .
Or repainted a room? . . .
Or done the wrong thing? . . .
Or regretted the color of your hair? . . .
Or done enough? . . .
If not then what? . . .
Do you fear being called up? . . .
Or called back? . . .
Where's the finish line? . . .
Is this a good idea? . . .
When was the last time you sang out of tune? . . .
When was the last time you stood up and walked out? . . .
Do you believe in love? . . .
Do you believe in love at first sight? . . .
Do you believe in magic? . . .
Have you ever been left behind? . . .
Or left out? . . .
Or left of center? . . .
Do you like to pick and choose? . . .
Does the end of summer come with a renewal? . . .
Have you ever been caught in a meteor shower? . . .
Or accused of insignificance? . . .
Or shortsightedness? . . .
Is wallowing in pity in your future? . . .
Can you see through bullshit? . . .
Do you listen to mourning doves? . . .
Do you tingle when trees bend? . . .
Is your lexicon up to snuff? . . .
Can you repopulate the stars? . . .
Do you enjoy the sun? . . .
Were you ever a feature? . . .
Have you ever found tears on your pillow? . . .
What about coins in the fountain?
Have you ever put it in reverse? . . .
And claimed otherwise? . . .
Or pleaded ignorance? . . .
Is life passing you by? . . .
Has it passed you by? . . .
Have you been passed over? . . .
Has the past passed? . . .
Do you pine for the passing lane? . . .
Is there no turning back? . . .
Or you-turning? . . .

Sarah Moon

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Screen Dump 107

You go back . . . and search for lines you know are there . . .
The streets costumed . . . beyond the pale . . .
Taillights of big rigs hum songs your mother sang . . .
Why now . . . when you can see three moves ahead? . . .
The color of checkmate . . . filed under . . . Wait, and see . . .
Trying too hard to think through summer, yes? . . .
The reasons for your enjambment . . . your entrancement . . .
your entrapment . . .
Your eyes as sandwich boards . . .
dancing in the street . . . with whomever . . .
studying the trailer for Coming Attractions . . .
restarting . . . after years of shutdown . . .
Heads up to your father flipping burgers . . . in a backyard of friends . . .
No serious entanglements . . .
From here we can follow bread crumbs . . . back to the way we were . . .

David Leslie Anthony

Friday, August 8, 2014

Screen Dump 106

You fiddle with contextual cues . . . and chunks of raw idiom . . .
Coming up with a surface that's supposed to evoke real life . . .
Methinks you're walking on eggshells . . .
And the conversations - the arguments - we have . . . with ourselves . . .
Testing the waters . . . as traffic speeds past . . . faster then faster still . . .
Orchestrating the fit . . . even on the bleakest days . . .
There's so much more . . . OK, in a weird way . . . but so what? . . .
Asking yourself Who wrote that? . . .
Rereading past exchanges . . . trying to figure out where your head was at . . .
These flip decisions laid the groundwork . . . for you . . . now . . .
Recanting posts? . . . But of course! . . .
Busying yourself with channel surfing? . . .
To say nothing of confusion's seductive fun? . . .
Past players insinuate themselves . . . the heretical nature thereof . . .
You likely thought you could pass muster as one of many . . .
Whatever you say, boss, yes? . . .
Shifting into high gear . . . trolling night stalkers . . .
But what of the provenance of your latest acquisition? . . .
The one you saved your hard-earned pennies for . . . and won on eBay? . . .
Please don't trot out the Bucket List . . . this early in the quarter . . .

Sarah Moon

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Screen Dump 105

. . . but it's much more.
          - Patti Smith, Dream of Rimbaud

You have become inevitable . . . inviolable . . . transformed . . .
Offhand remarks about spiritual accidents . . .
Open your books to the gazpacho recipe on page 396 . . .
Headstone rubbings . . . at the feet of Percy Shelley . . .
With Gregory Corso, yes! . . .
Illuminations! . . . of course! . . . pellucid . . . strange . . .
On to the lost voyage in Java . . .
It was a very good year! . . .
Comparing notes . . . if only . . .
I wanted to insert an etching . . . she said . . .
and continued taking pictures . . .
of Coney Island rekindled . . . with blinders . . . can you imagine? . . .
You meet for coffee . . . chat old times . . .
populated by players from shipless waves . . .
expect more . . .
Remove the scaffolding . . . jump in . . .
There are only so many hours . . .
Standing on the corner . . . watching all the girls go by . . .
The Mesozoic Era saw the spread of true conifers . . .

Katerina Dmitrieva