10:00 / from Fidget
by Kenneth Goldsmith



Eyelids open. Tongue runs across upper lip moving from left side of mouth to right side of mouth following arc of lip. Swallow. Jaws clench. Grind. Stretch. Swallow. Head lifts. Arm already bent brushes pillow into back of head. Straightens. Counterclockwise twist thrusts elbow toward ceiling. Tongue leaves interior of mouth, passing through teeth. Tongue returns to mouth. Palm corkscrews. Thumb stretches. Forefingers wrap. Fists clench. Elbow bends. Thumb moves toward shoulder. Joint of thumb feels warmth of biceps. Elbow turns upward as knuckles and fist jam into neck. Right hand clenches. Thumb tucks against knuckles of extended hand. Fist moves to right shoulder, mimicking movement of left side. Right elbow thrusts. Knuckles rest on side of neck. Hands unfurl in parallel movements. Backs of hands against flat of neck. Heels of hands push in toward jaw, raising elbows, wrapping around neck. Thumbs tuck in, not out. Meat of hands rest on meat of jaw. Hands leave jaws to slightly cover ears. Parallel tips of fingers graze sides of head. Hairs tickle tips of fingers as they pass upward. Thumbs trail behind. Arms extend. Fingers unfurl. Shoulder extends into stretch. Arms out. Legs bend at knees. Pelvis thrusts to right. Left knee drops to bed. Right knee drops to bed. Left leg extends, mimicking movement of arms. Right hand, interrupting stretch, grabs with tips of fingers. Stretch suspends thumb. Elbow moves toward nose. Touches nose. Fingers release. Air brought up from lungs. Expelled through nose. Mucus flows as thumb and forefinger pinch, wiping mucus from tip of lip. Mucus remains in right nostril. Hand repeats motion. Index finger blocks passageway. Deep breath. Air and mucus expelled from right nostril. Elbow extends. Fingers release. Forefinger caresses outside of thumb. Breath drawn. Mucus remains. Right arms repeats hand twist. Right foot propels body. Right hip stretches. Right knee drops, almost touching bed. Muscles in right thigh and left buttocks stretch. Mucus drawn from nasal passage into back of throat. Saliva gathers. Puddle of mucus remains. Swallow. Right hand continues toward nose. Right thumb covers nostril. Mucus expelled. Right index finger moves toward forehead, left of center, near top of hairline. Itch four times, moving from hairline to eyebrow. Body contracts into fetal position. Right arm rests between knees. Knees curve as body turns on right side. Left hand placed under right ear. Elbow bends. Neck cricks. Mucus pulled from nasal cavity remains in back of mouth. Saliva gathers in pouch of right cheek. Tongue scrapes excess mucus against top row of teeth. Mucus and saliva pushed to back of mouth and swallowed. Fresh watery saliva produced underneath tongue. Inhale. Neck muscles tighten, extracting mucus. Tongue aids in mucus collection. Air sucks tongue to teeth. Mucus on top of tongue. Swallow. Saliva produced from back of tongue washes top of tongue, dissolving remaining mucus. Right hand moves toward face. Little finger mashes eye. Index finger massages right eyebrow back and forth. Middle finger digs into left eye. Index finger sticks up in the air. Back and forth. Hands sandwich between legs in fetal position. Legs stretch out, parallel to one another. Body on side. Yawn. Legs stretch. Knees bend. Toes arch. Teeth clench. Jaw closes. Pelvis moves forward. Bottom teeth hit upper, causing tightening of left temple. Hand raises to touch back but slides to buttocks and scratches. Fingernails scratch left side of buttocks. Fingernails scratch right side of buttocks five times. Index finger extends into crack of buttocks and probes anus. Scratching. Once. Twice. Three times. Strong pressure applied by tip. Finger glides over coccyx and out of buttocks. Arm extends into air simultaneous with yawn. Elbow bends. Hand drops. Right forefinger moves to nostril. Enters. Tip of finger probes ridges inside nostril. Shape of left nostril conforms to shape of finger. Shape of finger conforms to shape of left nostril. Finger, in a clockwise corkscrew motion, removes caked mucus from nostril. Index finger wipes exterior of nose. Arms lock behind head. Back arches. Pelvis thrusts. Stretches. Stomach expands. Exhales. Yawns. Right leg emerges higher than rest of body. Left leg arcs. Hands move behind head. Left arm stretches. Knees together. Bend. Right knee falls to bed and flattens. Left leg waves in air. Bends. Straightens. Swallows. Eyes view lips. Mouth forms round "o" of swallow. Eyes view nose. Nose doubled as left eye squints. Close. Right eye views nose profiled to left. Vision blocked by shadow of nose. Right eye closes. Left eye views nose to right. Field of vision clears. Both eyes open. Eyebrows lift. Forehead muscles flex. Eyes move to right. Eyes move down. Shadow of nose seen. Eyes move left. Eyes move up. Yawn. Torso flexes full body stretch. Left leg moves outward. Relaxes. Pelvis thrusts. Left hand moves to capture falling saliva. Tongue emerges from mouth and licks top of lip, left to right. Head propped on pillow. Leg bends at knee. Back lies flat against bed. Right leg bends. Left toes dig into underside of right knee. Right heel brushes hairs of left leg. Right side of knee touches ground. Mucus drawn. Anterior of left leg touches bed. In mid-thigh, above left knee, motion felt. Blood rushes in leg, subsiding to imperceptibility. Leg disappears. Breath from middle of stomach fills belly. Lungs expand. Belly falls. Belly rises. Belly falls. Belly rises from navel. Belly falls. Belly rises. Belly falls. Right leg moves away from body. Left leg scrapes along ankle. Yawn. Knees extend. Stretch travels from upper ribcage, ending at temple. Body flips right. Elbows bend. Back arches. Right knee moves to edge of bed. Right foot stretches, touching floor. Tip of big toe hits floor. Second toe, third toe, fourth toe, pinkie toe touch. Knees move forward. Ball of foot touches ground. Left leg, from knee, propels body. Back flat on bed. Left hand thrusts body into erect position, straightening from torso. Body upright. Right heel touches ground. Right foot supports entire body weight. Left leg leaves bed. Body erect. Knees straight. Left foot hits ground. Head emerges. Eyes look ahead. Body turns to right. Right foot swings right. Left foot follows. Step. Left foot steps. Left footsteps begin at ball and end at heel. Step. Step again. Right heel hits ground. Body weight entirely on ball of lead foot. Left foot rises. Body weight shifts to right. Left leaves ground. Step forward. Heel hits floor, led by ball of foot. Knees bend. Right foot extends. Mucus drawn. Right foot moves ahead. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Left hand drifts away. Fingers release. Hand moves toward body, turning right, led by right foot. Step. Step. Left hand grabs back with fingertips. Right hand grabs back with thumb and forefinger. Motion pulls back open. Left hand grasps. Arm moves behind. Sidestep to left. Knees bend. Buttocks drop. Left elbow leans. Right hand corkscrews. Tip of right middle finger leads. Fist extends in front of body. Right hand scratches right calf. Right thumb and forefinger pinch.


Pub. May 1998

DRC