Canadian
What the Snake Brings to the World by Lorna Crozier
Without the snake
there'd be no letter S
No forked tongue and toil,
no pain and no sin. No wonder
the snake's without shoulders.
What could bear such a weight!
The snake's responsible for everything
that slides and hisses, that moves
without feet or legs. The wind for example.
The sea in its long sweeps to shore and out again.
The snake has done some good, then.
Even sin to the ordinary man
brings its pleasures. And without
the letter S traced belly-wise
outside the gates of Eden
we'd have to live
with the singular of everything:
sparrow, ear, heartbeat,
mercy, truth.
echolalia by Dennis Cooley
the first thing you should know
about me is i am
a sound poet
i wind up &
throw my voice
into the tent
: like that
? how you like that
neat don't you think
all the loops in the system
some smart guy said well
what's the point
it's canvas isn't it
& you say yeah well so what
it's paint yr smearing there
all over the canvas yr words are paint
he's a real pain in the ass that guy
the important thing is
i take soundings see
i try to hear myself
try to hear you hearing
yur eyes grow green & big
that's how i find myself that's how
i find you
i can hear where you sizzle
& pop
