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The Argotist Online |
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HANK LAZER Hank
Lazer
is an Assistant Vice President and Professor of English at the University of
Alabama. With Charles Bernstein he edits the Modern and Contemporary Poetics
Series for the University of Alabama Press. His books of poetry
include Elegies & Vacations, Days, 3 of 10, and Doublespace:
Poems 1971-1989. A noted critic, Lazer’s two-volume Opposing
Poetries appeared in 1996. BLANK —for Arakawa & Madeline
Gins the words
begin as proper
designations to leave me when to
cleave means to
cling to or cut through
as they had
conjectured i am become
quite blank
am built & feel it happen upon a blank
event
place image
engendered upon a blank
of & prior
to of
we will use this fact HANDS
from where to where on
morning air light
simple prayer
consecutive with consent to
see sit with
hands open palms
upward small
invisible flame in each
sorrowing call of
stellar jay child
before a mirror
tries on baggy coat our language
red tail hawk
wheels upward
see into i say riding gesture of
hands PASSAGE
i am after passage plain
& simple across
which then from
there took off
decidedly somewhat
different
case of self
differing i am after passage out
as they before
me borders &
borderguards i am passage destination
unfamiliar self differing by
landing sites sensed
the odd patterns
of light
i am after passage
out PUT
put me in mind of
landing site
permeable to sudden change
schooled meaning
milled or sculpted
become something of interest
put me in mind of
whoever says so
from blank to labyrinth
which is itself
essentially blank
put me in mind of then norman
had us get up (in mind of) & walk
around
BUSINESS
john dark
angel can it be you the only one i know has this
astringent candor
serious utterly serious about
business of moving
exactly around a few words john i read where
you wrote where
you salute
another as “dark
captain of the
fiery hunt which
i have abandoned”
what then will you do?
THOUGHT it is not at all a bad thing that thought
has taken over
being one of
several circuitous
ways home odd time
among tall cement
structures not easy when young to be yourself that
structure exactly
uncertain light them &
say a blessing it is
blessèd to stretch &
breathe with resolute
care
copyright
© Hank Lazer |