JUXTA/ELECTRONIC #4 NOVEMBER 1995
EDITORS: Ken Harris, Jim Leftwich
Address: 977 Seminole Trail #331, Charlottesville, VA 22901
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John M. Bennett Jeffrey
Little
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FALLS STILL John M. Bennett July - August 1994
CONTENTS
FALLS -- IN -- SPEEDING -- WET -- CLAY -- FINGER -- BEE --
PLANTING -- DREAM -- MELD -- SHORE -- ENTROPY -- SANDY - - KNOWS -- VOLUTE --
SPEND -- SWALLOW -- STRANGLES LAW -- EVICTION -- HAMMER -- OUCH TO -- DUSK
-- UN DUNE --
STUFFED -- SPATTER -- STILL
Some of these poems have appeared in Feh!, Forklift Ohio, Report to Hell,
Transmog, The Vinyl Elephant, and Wurdz
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FALLS
Sent forth squalling rain thins the house commutation
basement dampened walls skin dissolves bent neck's
course under sprawling water chain breath bubbled in,
eroded blouse clings ejaculation size, face's river's
tamped shoes small bed thin "resolve" rests utter
falter death, double implosion ex-rings, flies on's
liver's clues bred
MIST
*****
IN
Map retention spent and flayed the bluish veins
retain a bloody liver gushing roads submerged so
forth I chanchered burned all hair my muddy skin
returned to paper frayed my pulpy tongue thin
tore the current turned re-//formed the sand I
reached or hands restrained the starting channel
beached the fields all same
DIRECTION
*****
SPEEDING
Acid tree contusion chain (pockets blistered)
(froth of teething) bark chewed broom descending.
Attic confusion locks (moths darkened) room's need
stain misted breathing nude ascending. Relentless
wood, spooned heart seizes
SALAD
*****
WET
Selectual, salvage size, heaps of dresses stalking
dim hall road "calls" stay of exaction hails eventual
sleeping soreness plays dicky's head and boxes
fall, ticking keys the drawer recalls or//regretful,
licking, mys or highway (receding bread, stray load,
sticky
THIGH
*****
CLAY
Silage settles, spans the sleepage pants or smile of
fly ("restless deep") common tracing of the isthmus'
dance (oh chest you) keep, sodden dust, smearage
'cross the books or tossing-channel, flocks of heard
scratchings, shirred eyes under feathers//sunk in
mud, the matching pockets gasp milage dulls metals
RING
*****
FINGER
Nail salivation (course seethings) felt of tumbled
sail ah, banging against the dock bites forced
speaking skin pops (stealthy tubings of, never)
slaked dancing drainful circles//undressed the rock
Sighting, chin, moon, stops, linger
*****
BEE
Pee retention climbing steps oh pants I bore the
lamps cling tore pockets through my cooler
leg free lint coagulation change tolls fueled
lawn forever, rows of kneeling arming acid paper
boxes ah at last my clay returns, the yellowed
chest...(But fast as day-form burning, basements
filled (sodden nest)) Drink, pump, stacks, sink
CHASER
*****
PLANTING
The fluey louvers pale bowl empties hand I
carried you or thought just heavy breathing lisp of
nose trembly hair the axle soothes gripping shaled
fingers show matter densely sand I watered "married"
you or seating sought the window's dust lockers
steady weight receiving. Passage lips or knotted
clothes my coughing heavy mortared air the image-
axe reglues. "So's gate flows", sensing: where I
buried you
SEED
*****
DREAM
Lair mattress folders set of hills the smoky sun
baare slopes back of hand gritty wall your glasses
under table gleam, shoes pass road mutters spinal
words crumpled off steam returns soaking shirt
(Chair, glowed, still BURNS
*****
MELD
What rumbles know gaping roof slathers snow head
emerges gasping light fears sing gutters heavy
mud earth rains sprawling on the ladder felt I,
sore of bringing buckets blood slow shaping gathers
bread blown, tasting bright ears or uttered thing.
Birth chains crawling sadder knelt I, stringing
luck held
Frozen poodle, dusty sky
*****
SHORE
Floor tripling face demands the single eye screen
gnats release snore gladly drooping through the
computate or dribble place: rusty cans along the
wall grass fills flies seen hats flat in grease's
foot spore dry. Bore off, crippling, clean last
shirt; where the door flows, roots thick with dirt
SUIT
*****
ENTROPY
Dissection levers melted forearm flame of hair or
licking-crack between resections handed ice in stomach
heaves, snotty pool with hindsight pelted, place regained
(sticking pat). So's direction severs back to's potty
fool but, tines of light remain. Dripping hat, lumpy
sleeves, "jewel-pages" gleam: stand of standing back,
and sucking in the steam
ANALYSIS
*****
SANDY
Standard-stipulation//clanking hall tethered belt-loops
for correction synthesis, synthetic correction? the
plan//sticks, commutation stands aside whethered boots
remain connection severed sleeping fine but gritty oh I
nevered, laundered, twisted here to stay "and leaving",
hanks of chair my arms and back, wards feeling cheek off
peeling paint (squandered "that") chest to
WALL
*****
KNOWS
Cup-burn, possibility, "horse of" sealing cargo
shoulder-heat the hold leads down drinking I or//
weight-repeal (flossy tongue course) folds the map of
im- , top of steps the roll begins (so's luck "tough
learns") plate of burning water shoulder to the
heel. Heel pain, sleep inversion, yearn to bring
(churning halter
WAY
*****
VOLUTE
Parallel reversal (corn of) bending cross the table
fur burns (level rehearsal) plastic lemons, teeth the
room behind (lenses churn. Toss the faster//lips or
stain//twitching armpit) walked off siding back the
drywall leaf of painted breath a (list of left//its
plaster palate's, s
PEAKING
*****
SPEND
Spinal memory cost, or choosing tips-retractions
succotash the squash removes toward throne, cats,
wads of gum, the scriber floored and slanting
light the door (cup of smoke) climbing heavy moss
or spoons sticks combs fat guns. Now it's all,
doughnut sat, pout and paid forever//pall, glow,
tendril revision. Numbers lost, no-chair
FILL
*****
SWALLOW
Transducing's pants, legophagous thinks, swaying the
high brown step or changing, cutting's fingers the
rope chewed off "oh rusty sink I"//reducing's fast
red blinks as' thigh lays down pet-raging (rutting
lingers) smoke's dewed off dust sticks eye just
knew//off strokes' windows clotting, the page-clown
smiles as 'e drinks bed's last spewing: (sand
buttocks hollow mastication)
DWELLING
*****
STRANGLES LAW
Long scrawl drooping lip pot brims floater shooting
soddy floor play molds couldn't I? birdy leg dog
adheres, pillow-look sere sock chewed (choker) "dong
fall" cold sight resembles' stringy drool, hip
fought. Phone trails, sticky shoe, place's loan
claimed (soggy door) north mouth draws down's jaw
to's shirt locked (dangles paw//wiped
TIGHT
*****
EVICTION
Straw chose so's ear connection phoner nose lacking
hours thighs glaze connection sights (fly of leader,
pee mind) draws low fears rejection simmers (foamed
clothes) (soaking in the grass, "window's views")
talky sleep shimmers dew//stacks of flowers eyes
haze injection's nights... (proud leers, loaned
slows, poking through the gas...
REPACKS
*****
HAMMER
Watch smash stool trembles "my leg next?" floor
aflitter parts, swayed toward wall and's grinning
switch to a shriek relays' buzzing wire's armpits
tingle (eighteen years not loosed) "more spittle"
starts, glazed for's countless crumbled ringer-skins
(heart's burble) tool agleam with thready breathing,
silted blanket cartrunk hairbags cones wheedles:
"my egg's nest?"
HIGH
*****
OUCH TO
"Time to slow the" crashing lock list biting finger
showered oil mildew steel wool wig of five lifted
wieners blowing: hoarse regrets the salad blooms
fumbles key or fork, resistance turning lingered
sweet plastic sack of drippings plate returns, the
precious tickets tripping o'er (the penny horse
forgets) His last face learns, first churns,
rancid mustard, scattered bun, ah
LUNCH
*****
DUSK
Flog while pal-syndrome purling down the street
suitcase crashing garbage cans coins knives baseball
cards the fog in's sleeve learns grip oily pamphlets
dog returns (pen soaked) "shall phone" wires'
pockets shoot crashing. Large hands flayed corners
felt yards dream in's missed retentions (sucks'
chanchre sore) Hair's locked touches' slant stare
room's wall, pasty back's
GLARE
*****
UN DUNE
Un toad, boat sings dune de nudos kneels the rug
glows retreats swales prow through wheeling couch...
window out drops fog leans low vision's line altiva,
churns wake "here", sleepy, emptied skin, resume
sanding air, nu port. Nude revolves (resolves knots)
weight on the islands dusty hands eyes, lips reclimb
DESNUDO
*****
STUFFED
Blow retraction "coughing back" at me, sidewalk
remembered, call-complication piles of digging street
remain (rubbing chain) dragged behind (dense suitcase:
grass and empty lighters): chair compaction sagging
(but I left somehow) drooled the curb or clutched the
scabby mattress' edge: puffed and... never caught my
breath, tried to breathetheceilingin, "nose in's mud-
thick" root, (compression's eyes'
UP
*****
SPATTER
O spoon's relegation triples soupy crown-launch
carrots sailing, lunch of wine, uh, wire clotted
'cross the windows linear metal cheese returned:
glinting gossamer drool's reserved loopy slapping
cheeks cottage, later clay! (O room's brown floor
stewing, hunching under the bed... notebooks, soggy
boxes, drifts of towels!) "My breathless shirt
rehearsed..."
SPATTER
*****
STILL
Flat dog bark, grey air//bucket hat's step-clumping
down the bags of meal and grass (wormy sand or
heart-attack "information science") clay smears the
log or leg-lumpy clown dancing mist of speech-gasoline,
resurrection "creation silence": veal Pampers under's
pants. Inhales' exhalations, holds//concrete inversion,
mows' nothing there
TREES
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JEFFREY LITTLE
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incoming --- cartel --- vertigo girl & the systematic hysteria of hotels ---
dic*tum --- portages into westworld --- ossuaries & ozone --- ...blisters,
ann, the wrist turns w/out wing --- opening day --- if not cutlery, when ---
prosthetics a.d.
************
incoming
walking towns w/a turkey buzzard strapped like a toothache to
my head. it's about focus, it's about the acquisition of a perspective as if
it were a foxhole. using nothing but a
barometer & a hypnotized komodo i seek the postulates that
will finally prove to myself the mother of this the human
experiment. it's clear that my work is here, that my work lies
deep inside the irritable sinuses of production, their
incandescent smelt stacks & tankards of aluminum pudding,
the gestalt of the brown sugar in a slaughterhouse ham.
********************
cartel
"hell that t'aint sparagus" the chickens are dancing it's been this way for
years. twilight thrice daily & peppered by the drive-by absolutions. canker
sores loom like potholes in the blind alleys of your smile but why gamble on
a molotov coctail when all that's called for's an asassination via
infomercial? in times of turmoil turn to spalding's guide. economy is
essential. you say stapler, you mean darwin--triads sustaining thought. the
chickens flail at vacuum cleaners floating the alleys in quest of past
glories as grace turns to a fragmenting crotch-high bouncing betty. barbeque
hanging & greasepaint circles. chanting. i'm hungry again.
********************
vertigo girl & the systematic hysteria of hotels
mentalists trip the toggles maiming the sentience of knees
once walking in a lounge where all the pretzels were free
of kinship rituals & painted dancing days chloroforming
the vertigo girl in the pool looking like a corpse storming
the hootch cabinet of angry gods in the web of the tabloid
excesses & importances trembling in a lab's damp freud
"every office should have one" & in time most acquiesce
except the vertigo girl she's designing now a black dress
sewn from the dentures of tunnel rats instead of talking
of her past & the fact that a crow's hysterical squawking
is the textbook sublimination of ty cobb's contiguous span
it's as popeye took to function as a prop job for the klan
"the business of america is business" of serrations ghost
dancers corroborate w/skins celebrating a nation's ropes
knotted the bolus choking on the machine's droning gloat
it stirs the martini of a white dwarf rummaging in the rote
replies passing for cans of conscience in the supermarket
of your dreams they remain bound to the newer darkness
tattooing daybreak w/the telekinetic gloom of repetitions
enacted agelong w/out once seducing a womb to sedition
a complete coercion the ensemble it's a quilted bedspread
of teeth hanging heavily & by the runners of the red sled
implanted by the vertigo girl in the hotel's lobby of various
homings what it detects is a center which cannot carry us
any further that's fused to the backbone of place pulled
from an offering unmet of the systems all long since cooled
********************
dic*tum
i
green the colors always start & why not w/the colors or a handclap a noise or
a color the colors this is the start what the start is always w/a start
begins the litany begins w/a color or a handclap the echo then follows it
follows that an echo follows that sound picks up where a sound where a color
a handclap left off it follows that a color begins & why not what the echo it
takes to finish
ii
head-steadied the leap over a cannister of fenced lowings the leap over a
cannister of lowings to continue on w/the resonations over the fields in
heavy shoes the clodhoppers the cannister it begins to disengage to follow
through on its fold into distillation the definition it arrives saddled w/the
leap it arrives saddled in a cannister a field pushed the color pushed to a
sounding over the head steadied & taken to the where the echo's unsure
iii
thick beyond thought given rise to the residual the consequence of a sound's
extraction to colors into the colors re-reeled & taken to be taken as a
dispatch between fields a kinetic conveyance & why not the residual it
carries the handclap the green lowing's saddled soundings it wests into
nether only to return from the fenced where the echo waits where the echo it
waits to be warned
********************
portages into westworld
if you are fearful then you
have
the futile persuasion -- Sun
Ra
carrying a tin plate from the bustling chuck wagon & how i got there is
anyone's guess.
christ! i'm a cowpoke w/snakeskin boots on a red kerchief & a pair of leather
chaps i look like howdy doody forsaken at the ok corrall & all i can hear
booming
through the echoic iron lung of my mind are the words "make do, make do" in
the wine soaked
voice of the latter day orson wells yes this year it promises to be a bad
one. my
life it's a series of ridiculous transformations as on a rope ladder's
descent into a kettle
of chipped beef on a shingle there are no borders here no logic but its own
i'm awaiting a trolley car in a prairie patting down leather chaps for loose
change. born w/out any sense of orientation i understand nothing but the
innate barbarism
of the maze for weeks once i wandered the ice-capped aisles of frozen foods
subsisting
solely on tater tots & corndogs-on-a-stick & now i'm eating beans on an empty
range lisstening to a pack of walter brennans bitching about henri bergson
about time
travel the biscuits though taste like a thanksgiving w/a malamute & the
gettysburg snow
i'm tired of lying prostrate b/4 of explaining myself to a bodice of rules
that doesn't apply. never have i discovered a folio that's resolved me for
myself
its charts & indices somehow resistant to the blackened clouds of fructose
welling
up in the west a book that could be myself but is not so i stare i stare at
the clouds
at the walter brennans as they're joined by a matched set of gabby hayes i
stare
at the tents the canvas tents on the horizon as if i were staring at myself
standing in the piles of snow by wrigley field holding a broken hamilton
blender
in my hands the sun here it's a tin plate suspended strange fruit hanging the
sky i'm
wearing a tumbleweed cap like a russian a portable cossack for the hills as i
make my
way for the hills into the other the hills beyond these tents beyond the
mountains between.
********************
ossuaries & ozone
slow to the flame & the written word. atmosphere it cannot explain
away the bone trawlers or this drill press of stone though the ozone
smells like a wet coat left to the vitriol
of the summer sun. i possess the logic the buttered
logic of a scavenger newly arrived on these plastic plains
all i demand is a wall or a limestone cave
to call my own an infraction against
the necessity of time. the wind carries light it carries
seed like a bucket of balls & i cannot help but think of you
kneeling b/4 a platefull of oranges & your wondering why. to
dig w/charcoal for drinking water in a dessicated shelf
daily, slow to the flame yes & the written
word the therefore of a jawbox
an alien jawbox w/out teeth it makes for a fine lampshade
or half-remembered ancestor but there's no wisdom in a hen's
tooth if you're as dry as a stalk of utah
& assured of a lasting death. it's
not enough to be simply alone in the corkscrew
of your days but to be utterly so that accounts for this my lack
of teeth & relative misunderstanding of photosynthesis
& the politics of approach. i mark my time
questioning blades of grass about
their silence fully certain that it's so--i move-- as
does everything around me, & what i'm left w/to what i trawl
through is illegible a piecemeal an unknowable covenant of the cold.
********************
...blisters, ann, the wrist turns w/out wing,
unnerved in new dheli
when a cloud of feathers strapped to a pea pod from the heavens plops, then.
understand, the placenta is not a codpiece--& breathe, try scrambling across
a mountain w/my teeth four summers running & still they sup alone.
the feathers must take the shape of a cheese grater sporting a bear bryant
seed coat undercover if it loiters too long on the cafeteria trays of your
eyes.
consider again the ancient proverb of the hairless sandwich chef & the
flotilla
of hapless wigs--remember--tread the ganges' flaking and the heat pump is
yours.
********************
opening day
this is a monk of a different abscess. chinchillas parachuting w/cheese
danishes drooping like leon trotsky from the sky, the graveyard's
awkward stilts...i've combed enough throats here to know.
it's hard to prioritize inside of the thorax of an opaque birthday cake.
what takes precedent, onions rolling about the turnpike
or an uncouth acrobat eating one-armed sausages w/a sneer?
by definition the occurrence is rare, but how am i to explain
this to the quickened priests of my daughter's russian stare?
struggling in my bid to contradict particle physics w/a lawn
art only to end up w/a light show
in my lap. lines have been plotted--convergences assured.
i confess i have my doubts.
my daughter's looking on like a balding soviet bureaucrat attempting
to resuscitate the failed heart of laika the prodigal space pooch
& the chinchillas they're nowhere to be seen.
in a forest's teflon clearings a specific balance conducts palmed
hopes & the trembling, a transcendence promising an end
to the agitated slapstick of repetition,
i've combed enough throats to know--atavistic totems & lost
tribes of the semaphore, three-card monte beneath the scaffolding skies.
********************
if not cutlery, when
some frozen sap cupping his ears as crimson as pepe the circus freak's
marvelous
rupture sizing the wind more of a solvent than wash. the broiled chops break
into mumbles, why no elevators...it's the bottom half of salvation
when do the jesuits come to bat i h ave no answers for them i can offer no
regrets
only vats of designer shaman extract from the wal-mart i tell them there's
nothing
more repulsive than a bludgeoning except the notion of shame & they
just lay there nodding on the white serving tray & smiling as only the pork
chop
can. in warehouses all over this continent billions of black rubber o-rings
linger
on metal shelving in boxes, stenciled: O-RINGS. the connection cannot
be made more clear. what a rupture distills where curtly the cold air snaps
to circus.
********************
prosthetics a.d.
wooden crates filled w/lungs dot the whole of the jersey shore w/the teams of
frogmen
in their rubber lamb chop masks making synchronized sweeps through the
shallow.
they're seeking slot machines the slot machines huffing fat sacks of air.
there is nothing even slightly pleasing about the circumferance of a noun.
holed up deep in the atlantic jack ruby's sporting pin-striped gill
slits & posing w/poseidon's big-ass fork, he's surrounded
by naked women in diving bells & holds in his left hand the remote control
i am on page 12 of the brothers karamazoz. "the eldest son is packed off."
it's my guess that if made to i could probably keep afloat.
that yes, i am connected to these lungs. it's no secret why the oxygen it
swirls
around jack ruby & those lungs the jersey shore. two large fingers, an
apple, & a jar.
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