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The same watery smokey images words
Emerge in the abdomen
Like a knot that won't untangle
When so much has
already been undone
Play
that back
Read
that back
Trapped air
Is making its way
Up the ranks
and this is how it ranks
Like walls covered in mold
What an atmosphere
Folding in on itself
Elbow on the desk
top that off
and spill the milk as
bad as bad
Blink until less
has disappeared
to hide the crowding
of nonsense
nesting in the beard
without a trim
getting for getting
Reading glass case
dropped by irregularly clipped
fingernails until more
musical notes are taken out
almost ready for
unprepared routine
of muscular cries
for an empty drink
Quarter of an apple
brown and tinged also
with the ink of a
newspaper
Vague shapes of events
getting for getting
The same vague shapes
of the obstinate events
clinging to bristle blocks
making its way
up the cracks
columns wet
with a nose dive
splitting head aches
bouncing off the special effect
with the rest to rest
wedged in repetition
Dimmed by blinking
until less has disappeared
to conceal the buried
trunk of lunacy
almost ready for
the walk
the wandering
from the decayed box
aimlessly through the soil
building up in the corners
of eyes
- Max Stoltenberg
From paper to blood from blood to plastic from keys to plugs from screeching to crumbs of floor from poring over it to poring over what they said from breathing to bleeding from the end to now from now to the gate from slamming shut to the echo between lobes from the cup to the calculator from the cellphone to the dead battery from the wires to the disconnection from the that to the it from the depression to the snapped floss from the wind to the throat choking on dried pages from the forgotten to the unwritten from the subject to the hole in the ground from the characteristic to the puncture wound from the slashing to the cold stinging shower from the from to the to from the to to the other from the other to the flat from the path to the path to the from from the another to the another from the another to the to from pent-up from the pent-up to the glass shattering from the shards to the pavement from the long hair to the last parting step discernible from the blackness to the blackness from the under to the below that from the upstairs to the basement to the TV off from the off to the constantly from the fist to the leaving from the leaving to the leaving from the now to the leaving now to the leaving then to the always leaving from the always leaving from the always passing from gate to gate to gate to gate to gate from the slamming shut to the echo between the lobes from the that's it to the is that it from pressure to let go from let go to disregarded from disregarded to put up with.
- Max Stoltenberg
These two walls see and ignore where they go and how they extend their pricks - meant bricks, no go on ahead with it along the extension and there they are pricks it is - said that, there is only guessing about everything else. Wanted traveler, wanted yesterday and it has passed back somewhere where the wall one of the walls began - said that, there is only guessing about everything else. Sandwich shits some of its meat onto the gravel picking at the pieces that stick between the rocks - said that, there is only guessing about everything else.
Might get sick in the corner once was there once there with the back back somewhere where the wall one of the walls began - said that, there is only guessing about everything else. Might get sick in the corner once was there once there with the back back somewhere there where the wall one of the walls began already said that damn it all both walls in the corner might get sick there once there with the back back there with the back to eyes and mouths and things that stick between the gravel under the skin of the wanted traveler wanted yesterday as it has passed back somewhere where the wall one of the walls one of both the all all the fucking walls began - said that, there is only guessing about everything else. Breezeway smothers sweat into a mind numbing pantry stuffed with beef jerky and how they extend their pricks jerking those jerks - said that, there is only guessing about everything else outside inside breezeway breathing in the air conditioned between of the two walls for a metal straight jacket dare dare jack it fuck yourselves into the expansion until legs of the journey split apart at the asshole - said that, while there is no and never will be any listening from the two walls - fuck them - said that, while there is no - said that, while there is no and never - said that, while there is no and never will be - said that, said that, while there is no and never will be any listening from the two walls - fuck them - said that, there is only guessing about everything else.
- Max Stoltenberg
So far haven't left for being left so far from having haven't left yet and yet have left out additional features of what's left to leave out and haven't done that yet. Left around for another round and around or what was palms against wood rubbing and twisting around left around for another round and around or what was palms against wood or against something rubbing and twisting around or's and and's or and/or or's or and's/or's so far from having haven't left yet and yet have left out additional features of what's left to leave out and haven't done that yet, you have no idea and either you or they or someone else has and hasn't or hasn't any and/or no idea neither.
Drifting off onto the dirt shoulder dirty shoulders through the shirt to the back of the neck into the hair of the head laid down on the dock next to the rowboat listening to the oars slip out into the water like a swallowing of some kind of gagging of the lake or pond these days just days only just days from now for being left so far from having haven't left yet and yet have left out additional features of what's left to leave out and haven't done that yet. Left around for another round and around or what was palms against wood head laid down on the wood of the dock once palms fold into the pockets shallow pockets of a rasping coat covering lungs left around for another round and around or what was palms against wood head laid down on the wood of the dock once palms fold into pockets shallow pockets of a rasping coat covering lungs shallow lungs emptied by what comes after clouds smudged with what hasn't been left out yet for drifting off onto the dirt.
Drifting off to nodding off not off even then or onto anything or a drift as in how it can't be managed and it can't manage it with any increase in speed or urgency no urgency anymore these days just days only just days plundered and not off even then or onto anything or a drift as in how it can't be managed with what's left so far for being left so far from having haven't left yet and yet have left out additional features of what's left to leave out and haven't done that yet and yet drifting off onto the dirt getting away it's getting away the and the or slipping away drifting off onto the dirt breaking down lying down palms folding into pockets shallow pockets of a rasping coat covering lungs shallow lungs emptied from throwing being thrown lying down head on the wooden dock next to the rowboat listening to the oars slip out into the water like a swallowing of some kind of gagging of the lake or pond these days just days only just days emptied from throwing being thrown trying the vain insistence on trying when no one else tells with their wooden sayings and haven't left yet still around for another round slipping out into the water like a swallowing of some kind of gagging from being thrown trying the vain insistence on trying when no one else tells with their wooden sayings and haven't left yet still around still thrown by them trying to throw the ball towards the arms lowering slipping out into the water like a swallowing of some kind of gagging throwing up spitting up what has been thrown up ball head slipping.
- Max Stoltenberg
The piece of tape had gotten stuck to itself and there was no separating. Plus a strand of hair presented itself sandwiched between the two adhesive buns. Pulling on the thin fiber it broke and the formerly gripped segment disappeared from between index finger and thumb. The vacuum cleaner had something in it even after several milk gallons of dust, fur, and potato chips, the ruffled kind the kind that ruffled many things many feet and many feathers and feathers could be included in the several milk gallons of dust, fur, and potato chips, the ruffled kind the kind that ruffled many things many feet and many feathers and feathers ruffled and tumbled in the dryer tumbled along with a couple logs of shit that had been dried after being washed couldn't fit into the small holes all around them as the water left leaving behind the couple logs of shit. Even after several milk gallons of dust, fur (dog or bonobo) even after all that after all it's all about town it's all about balance balancing on a log rolling in the water of the washing machine the log in the machine.
"If you had answered me the first time I asked, you wouldn't have spoken that way to me," declared Mumph as he sat holding the piece of tape and still looking for the strand.
"If I had answered you the first time you asked, I would have answered with greater curtness because I was so annoyed I had to hold myself back from responding at all and grit my teeth like you're doing right now I can see it and don't just dismiss my observation as being part of my way of speaking to you. You have as much of a claim to grit as the rest of us," retorted Lilactic windshield-wiping her hair off her forehead.
"I don't know if that is necessarily true. I consider it no different than those times I've been lectured about how being assertive and asking again and again will wear people down and they will eventually resign themselves to giving you what you want just to get you off their back. Biting off the face is more like it and scraping you off the bottom of their shoe is more like it," Mumph muttered staring down at his crotch to see if the coffee stain had faded any and it had but not nearly enough.
"When was the last time the office custodian service came by to take our trash? I could swear it's been weeks but I know it's probably more realistically like a couple of days. I haven't seen them? Have you?" asked Lilactic straightening in her chair and wincing from getting poked by something sticking through the back of it and into her blouse.
"Rest of who are you talking about?" Mumph inquired while the word orgy ejaculated through his skull.
"What?" she asked distractedly as she maneuvered her back to adjust the quality of the pain she was experiencing from whatever was cutting into her back above or below her bra clasps.
"You said the rest of us and I wanted to know who are this rest of us?" he clarified as the words pretzel rods clattered about his cranial chamber.
"I mean the rest of us in the office," she proposed as she thought about the last time she saw someone from the tenth floor as she thought about rocking in her chair to work the push and pull of the object into her back below it was below it on her back into her back.
"You mean the rest of the world, that's what you mean really isn't it?" he insisted all the while the image of a pop tart broken into pieces slapped the inside of his brain.
"No, just the rest of the office. You don't have to worry about the rest of the world - at least not this time anyway," hoping her rocking was not noticeable enough to garner a comment from Mumph.
Lateral moves the positioning of the badges faces harder to recognize lateral moves until after they happen after they move harder to face harder faces hardening and softer in their haziness a nostalgic resentment the redundancies all those redundancies clouding up the rows of snapshots inside the drawer in the corner of the eye positioning lateral moves the peeling badges peeling getting under to make their lateral moves peelings stuck to each other peeling its the rest of them peelings stuck to each other the rest of them of convincing the rest of them that that is how it happened after it happened lateral moves the positioning of the badges faces harder to recognize harder the rest of them harder convincing the rest of them.
"Lately lately how late," she continued with the prodding and the poking and the rub a dub dub with a sharp pinch in a pinch staying awake above it was above it through her blouse into the muscle, "before we know it what we thought is put off arrives to put us off some more for the very next day after this one ending sooner than expected not quickly as we'd as I'd like it to be answered and wondering if anyone the rest of the world is out there or anyone from the tenth floor comes around anymore seems like months but it's actually more like a couple of weeks but it's actually more like barking up the wrong tree me that's doing the barking and the howling that just keeps coming out of me and never quits because I don't want to be called a quitter by anyone else of the rest of the world barking up the wrong tree because I keep telling myself not to be a quitter because I keep telling myself that the rest of the world keeps telling me not to be a quitter still barking up the wrong tree as I keep howling and telling myself that I am a confident person confident in having seen once or maybe even twice the rest of them disappear up that tree as I keep telling myself that I saw the rest of them fly away and keep barking up that wrong tree because I keep telling myself that my howling brought some of the rest of them most of the rest of them back to the branches and so that is what I am confident about telling myself as I keep telling myself as I keep barking up the wrong tree while no one listens. Are you listening to me?"
Without looking at her while looking at the same coffee stain the same shade of staining the same fabric the same crotch, Mumph hollowly remarked, "I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention while I calculated the percentage of your insincerity."
"You bastard," Lilactic said pushing back on the needling needling her in her harder layers.
"Asking and asking doesn't get it. Only like you said it only gets what you and I keep telling ourselves. You keep asking me if I wonder about it and I don't wonder anymore about the tenth floor and about our trash cans overflowing and when was the last time. When was the last time? Nah, not going to wonder. Already have the snapshots in the drawer in the corner of the eye right on the edge of the corner where I keep telling myself it's nothing and it is it is something in the corner of my eye bringing the trash bags don't see the hands unfolding them opening them up wider and deeper trash bags following behind me just in the corner of my eye following."
- Max Stoltenberg
The two of them. The one and one of them. Not to mention what has been. Not to mention it come to mention it mention it to come to mention it to not to come not to mention it. Turn towards and away ears hold the wind knocked out of each one and one of them. The two of them. Period. Dot dot dot each speck rubbed with ignoring the other can't seem to reach them on the line it's on the line. Not to mention what has been.
The paper airplane didn't stand a chance as it landed in the bucket of water overflowing from the downpour through the hole in the roof of the roof of the house not to mention what has been. Not to mention it come to mention it mention it to come to mention it to not to come not to mention it through the hole in the roof of the roof of the house. The house didn't stand a chance.
Man: Your hand feels limp.
Woman: Limp? Did you say, "limp"?
Man: Yes, I said, "limp." Your hand feels limp.
Woman: How can that be? I have a good grip on this book.
Man: Not that one. The one that is currently holding me. You've got a book over there?
Woman: Just a small one. Where's my other hand holding you?
Man: A part of me. Just a small one.
Didn't stand a chance didn't stand and waited too long and not long enough to avoid the disappointment of just having missed it having missed her having missed having her missed her having to avoid the disappointment of having waited too long and not long enough to avoid the disappointment of just having missed it.
Man: You've been reading a book all this time?
Woman: You know it's not easy for you to carry on a conversation once you get into bed.
Man: Naturally, if you're going to be reading a book.
Woman: I've got to do something while you have those longer and longer pauses between your . . . your . . .
Man: Between my what? Go on say it.
Woman: Between your ellipses.
Man: Are you referring to my fluid build up?
Woman: Not in the least.
Man: That's due to inflammation of the bursa sac.
Woman: I wasn't even thinking of your sac.
Man: Apparently. It'll need surgical drainage.
Woman: Did I ever suggest that? No matter how I put this your exhaustion and my exhaustion will further deflate our touch our words and our eyes don't meet again before extinguishing the light and by morning will have stirred our dried out ingredients into the vat.
Man: Into the vat.
Woman: You did say one thing.
Man: What one thing?
Woman: During one of your incomprehensible dot dot dots.
Man: And it wasn't about surgical drainage?
Woman: Come to mention it, I'm not sure if you said it or if it was what I was reading or a combination of the two.
Man: Into the vat.
Woman: Yes, the vat.
The paper airplane didn't stand a chance as it landed in the bucket of water overflowing from the downpour through the hole in the roof of the roof of the house not to mention what has been. Not to mention it come to mention it mention it to come to mention it to not to come not to mention it through the hole in the roof of the roof of the house. The house didn't stand a chance.
Didn't stand a chance didn't stand and waited too long and not long enough to avoid the disappointment of just having missed it having missed her having missed having her missed her having to avoid the disappointment of having waited too long and not long enough to avoid the disappointment of just having missed it.
- Max Stoltenberg
Pass the snuff film as they snuff the pass that was going to let this float on by the bitter by and by while receipts of things blacken in pockets in trousers worn washed worn washed worn worn and worn into bad cheese accompanied by smoldering plastic as they snuff the pass that was going to let this float on by the bitter by and by.
Teenage girl pass the snuff film before you tell the story of when you were telling a story of when you were an elementary school girl of elementary proportions and notions telling a story to the corner of the schoolyard where there were certainly no other kids and certainly no grass "just big bald world" you used to say as you tried to let this float on by in the story you were telling about the bitter by and by and now until now it just so happens actually really nothing to write with or write on at home writing it with fingers in the "big bald world" before they start shouting my name yanking on the ribbon on the back of my dress that used to be a brighter green yanking on the ribbon with the sound of my name is that how it sounds actually really using this rock to write in the dirt to finish the story before they start yanking on the ribbon with the sound of my name.
Mother once mother in the car in the rain listen to the rain on the window closest to your tears pass the snuff film run over run over run over it and over it run over to this this just this just wanted to let this float on by the bitter by and by run over it under hair unshowered under the hood under the rain running over it heart pounds harder faster for another sound run over it and over it running over it back a bit as it stops after running over it and it has taken away more out from under your feet under fur grown over the abandoned "big bald world" under hair unshowered under the hood under the rain mud gets a grip on your behalf be half and keep dividing by two looking in the rearview mirror running a finger along the outline of an eyebrow in the rearview mirror getting darker as the muddy field searches in vain for tugging on dangling roots not there for any there not there running a finger along the outline of an eyebrow somewhere in the dusky mirror.
- Max Stoltenberg
