Nico Vassilakis

 

WOVEN

 

 

 

           pre-planned catastrophe
designed campaign
           both apparent and clandestine
private and public business interests

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           otherly, trees are good

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           what it means
by they kill things here
           to say things here
that they’re killed
           and they’re killed here
these things are
           killed here
by them
           by those that kill
that they do the killing
           and it’s done here

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           legs with feet
no higher than
           the knees

 

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           two frames
side by side
           multiple image
synchronous

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           talking, singing talk
a mouthed score
           its annual accompaniment

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           poetically arranged
as in
           her language is
governed by chance
           or
the system she operates
           in is of her own
imagining

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           complete schematics
formal templates

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           designed to apply her
desires in a way that
           satisfies

 

 

 

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           a fulfilling poetic
that captures then
           produces an output
of energy
           outbursts of clarity
an ability to assimilate
           fog and not
straining to see through

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           the front of it
sketched by memory
           is concise enough
to go
           by unnoticed

_________________

 

           concise without
extras, the very
           meaning of it

_________________

 

           slender
not without body
           but nothing added

___________________

 

           perhaps this time
τα χερια μου
           κουβαλανε ζωη
distinguished by
           the weight of it
at my side or akimbo

 

_________________

 

           a compulsion
to funnel trouble
           into something
portable

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           on this day
the page resembles
           anywhere the eyes
are sewn shut
           more fingers than
blinking at the moon’s
           radio is a location
first then lulls you
           into conversation how
the city is unaware of you
           and remains so

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           an opening
disruption a contradiction
           of local flowers make
for local honey
           these charts attest
to its corruption
           I will endure you
and I will
           take from you
 your source of it
and yes the offer stands
           in equilibrium

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           not if, but when
governed by chance
           government by chance

__________________

 

           defend it
the sentence
           set the phone
on vibrate
           the hand drawn document
the written one
           fingers full of ink
planning a diagram
           that conveys
unfolding
           a folding chair

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           she says, it’s ridiculous
and condescending
           a small pocket-sized novel
built
           at the
drafting table
           a bus schedule torn in two

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           with art
burns brains
           diassembled volumes
of theory the
           incoherents the insufferables
the insufficients
           change in
your pocket
           a trail of crumpled
paper leads to
           invisible thought

 

 

 

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           if I had rafters I’d
hang from them the
           lighting system is
natural provides
           shade to retreat
wanting more than
           can be carried
is another despised
           position

___________________

 

           a catastrophe
grasps at cloudless
           blues no employment
will quell her language
           will resent this new
construction peering
           in
the photo album of
           him, the tree

___________________

 

           it is a time to
devour

___________________

 

           for now for
now for now
           for now for
now for now for now for
           now for now for now for
now for now
           now for now
now for now

 

 

 


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