Shard have this ember
rendered member of the body whose
urge surged swerve and shine
ocean opens shone hours
ours to contrail pretends
to sketch a shape of a flower against
infinite information of the sky
data mined eternal I in formation of a
day to mind the steeple wore
steep war mined the memoir of shore
meme war fought on the internet
where however there are interments
fast parsing the rationing shore
endlessness warned between each
wounded party marked
intersects insects in sects descend
to spend the real their wings
beginning that season’s gnawing groan
of sex summer leaves shirring you can
at these moments open your mouth
imagine the San Francisco Chronicle
May 15, 1974 crumpled up sent forth
first paper to read then discarded
released found by Lenka one of an
endless piece of information met
for a moment given to Philip recited
received resited reseeded recedes
given to Kazim passed through the city
the situation an ovation oration
oblation ablation show me what you
pray for and eat save now in this flesh
archive what ought not be lost maker
of most light tossed sun rise up from
Rodeo Beach leaf me be reft left all
those bunkers in the hills their doors
rusted shut by metal or paper or
human touch weather concrete metal
paper or flesh we mark time on this earth
Kazim Ali has published books of poetry, fiction, essays and cross-genre work. “Crumpled Up” was part of “The Gifts,” a project by artists Lenka Clayton and Phillip Andrew Lewis. The project can be viewed at www.lenkaclayton.com/thegifts.
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