from In Smithereens

Michael Thomas Taren
ZOOPRAXOGRAPHER I .. .. had .. .. a .. .. blanket, .. .. I .. .. had .. .. a .. .. bottle, .. .. I .. .. w&ered .. .. away. .. .. I .. .. forget .. .. even .. .. where .. .. it .. .. is .. .. I .. .. w&ered .. .. where .. .. I .. .. wanted .. .. to .. .. go .. .. it .. .. didn’t .. .. matter .. .. & .. .. you .. .. know .. .. for .. .. once .. .. that’s .. .. just .. .. it .. .. it .. .. didn’t .. .. matter .. .. why .. .. would .. .. I .. .. exist .. .. in .. .. this .. .. terrible .. .. world .. .. if .. .. it .. .. weren’t .. .. for .. .. nice .. .. open .. .. shades, .. .. for .. .. light .. .. like .. .. so .. .. silver .. .. light .. .. wreaking .. .. upon .. .. the .. .. consciousness, .. .. if .. .. it .. .. weren’t .. .. for .. .. music .. .. blazing .. .. through .. .. trees .. .. etc .. .. there .. .. are .. .. endless .. .. things, .. .. endless .. .. things .. .. to .. .. do .. .. & .. .. say .. .. but .. .. what .. .. comes .. .. from .. .. it, .. .. much .. .. & .. .. very .. .. little, .. .. the .. .. sun .. .. sets, .. .. the .. .. universe .. .. is .. .. a .. .. melon .. .. chopped .. .. in .. .. half .. .. & .. .. appraised .. .. for .. .. the .. .. superficial .. .. symmetries .. .. & .. .. for .. .. the .. .. more .. .. profound .. .. lack .. .. of .. .. symmetries, .. .. to .. .. think .. .. that .. .. the .. .. melon .. .. rolls, .. .. haha .. .. but .. .. it .. .. doesn’t .. .. roll, .. .. does .. .. it .. .. gentlemen, .. .. it .. .. spins .. .. rather, .. .. rather .. .. it .. .. doesn’t .. .. move .. .. at .. .. all, .. .. haha .. .. but .. .. lets .. .. have .. .. wine, .. .. lets .. .. be .. .. silent .. .. & .. .. cold, .. .. & .. .. stop .. .. if .. .. you .. .. will .. .. if .. .. you'll .. .. allow .. .. this .. .. planting .. .. to .. .. grow .. .. to .. .. monstrous .. .. proportions, .. .. we .. .. didn’t .. .. mind .. .. you .. .. take .. .. the .. .. seed, .. .. the .. .. seed, .. .. you .. .. underst&, .. .. was .. .. given .. .. to .. .. us, .. .. we, .. .. gentlemen, .. .. were .. .. born .. .. with .. .. the .. .. seed .. .. in .. .. our .. .. h& .. .. as .. .. it .. .. were .. .. when .. .. we .. .. were .. .. hoisted .. .. from .. .. the .. .. crepuscular .. .. basket .. .. of .. .. our .. .. floating .. .. downstream .. .. mothers, .. .. our .. .. mothers .. .. floating .. .. like .. .. the .. .. collated .. .. bramble .. .. & .. .. mosses .. .. & .. .. dried .. .. dead .. .. twigs .. .. & .. .. the .. .. hairs .. .. of .. .. the .. .. bird, .. .. our .. .. mothers .. .. floating .. .. upon .. .. their .. .. mothers .. .. the .. .. nile .. .. & .. .. the .. .. nile .. .. itself .. .. floating .. .. on .. .. its .. .. mother .. .. the .. .. earth .. .. & .. .. not .. .. one .. .. person .. .. floating .. .. of .. .. its .. .. own .. .. & .. .. not .. .. one .. .. person .. .. not .. .. lighted .. .. by .. .. the .. .. person .. .. it .. .. floated .. .. on .. .. & .. .. not .. .. one .. .. way .. .. not .. .. lighted .. .. by .. .. the .. .. lighting .. .. that .. .. comes .. .. from .. .. floating .. .. where .. .. one .. .. ought .. .. to .. .. float, .. .. gentlemen, .. .. good .. .. gentlemen, .. .. that’s .. .. then .. .. what .. .. is .. .. meant .. .. by .. .. seeds, .. .. you .. .. think .. .. I’ve .. .. lost .. .. my .. .. way .. .. but, .. .. gentleman, .. .. I .. .. never .. .. had .. .. a .. .. way, .. .. you .. .. see .. .. me .. .. as .. .. now .. .. coming .. .. from .. .. the .. .. breezy .. .. upl&s .. .. bundled .. .. in .. .. myself .. .. & .. .. quickened .. .. from .. .. no .. .. torchlight .. .. brought .. .. from .. .. my .. .. brief .. .. & .. .. most .. .. pleasant .. .. & .. .. most .. .. fortifying .. .. personal .. .. exile .. .. you .. .. see .. .. me .. .. tramping .. .. from .. .. that .. .. exile .. .. where .. .. you .. .. all .. .. very .. .. correctly .. .. dug .. .. your .. .. tents .. .. into .. .. the .. .. grassy .. .. flats .. .. of .. .. this .. .. particular .. .. hillside, .. .. but .. .. where .. .. are .. .. we .. .. gentlemen, .. .. why .. .. come .. .. here .. .. where .. .. the .. .. wind .. .. is .. .. loud .. .. & .. .. comes .. .. down .. .. & .. .. violates .. .. us .. .. in .. .. a .. .. never .. .. ending .. .. torrent, .. .. the .. .. merciless .. .. wind, .. .. one, .. .. gentlemen, .. .. in .. .. such .. .. wind, .. .. has .. .. to .. .. resign .. .. oneself .. .. to .. .. having .. .. no .. .. thoughts .. .. at .. .. all, .. .. one .. .. doesn’t .. .. come .. .. here .. .. to .. .. think .. .. gentleman, .. .. the .. .. thoughts .. .. are .. .. too .. .. friable .. .. to .. .. the .. .. pressures .. .. of .. .. the .. .. breeze, .. .. the .. .. most .. .. nascent .. .. thought .. .. & .. .. all .. .. thoughts .. .. here .. .. are .. .. of .. .. the .. .. most .. .. nascent .. .. kind, .. .. shatters .. .. & .. .. fritters .. .. into .. .. its .. .. elements, .. .. its .. .. constituent .. .. parts .. .. & .. .. those .. .. constituent .. .. parts, .. .. it .. .. is .. .. my .. .. bold .. .. hypothesis .. .. gentlemen, .. .. those .. .. constituent .. .. parts, .. .. having .. .. been .. .. battered .. .. from .. .. their .. .. nascent .. .. development, .. .. too .. .. soon, .. .. gentlemen, .. .. prematurely .. .. flouted .. .. to .. .. a .. .. brittle .. .. crust, .. .. gentlemen, .. .. those .. .. parts, .. .. therefore, .. .. haven’t .. .. then .. .. the .. .. necessary .. .. refinement, .. .. having .. .. been .. .. obliterated .. .. in .. .. the .. .. very .. .. process .. .. of .. .. refinement, .. .. the .. .. wind .. .. had .. .. already .. .. smashed .. .. them .. .. at .. .. this .. .. crucial .. .. moment .. .. & .. .. I .. .. fear, .. .. gentlemen, .. .. they .. .. won’t .. .. be .. .. able .. .. to .. .. ascend .. .. to .. .. the .. .. next .. .. echelon, .. .. they .. .. won’t .. .. be .. .. able .. .. to .. .. ascend, .. .. they’re .. .. smashed .. .. & .. .. fouled, .. .. they’re .. .. elemental, .. .. they’re .. .. useless .. .. to .. .. us .. .. endowed .. .. with .. .. reason, .. .. that’s .. .. my .. .. very .. .. point .. .. gentlemen, .. .. we’ve .. .. come .. .. to .. .. this .. .. height .. .. to .. .. observe .. .. with .. .. what .. .. we .. .. can .. .. observe .. .. that .. .. there .. .. exist .. .. such .. .. things .. .. derived .. .. from .. .. us, .. .. namely, .. .. these .. .. constituent .. .. elements .. .. I .. .. mentioned, .. .. gentlemen, .. .. that .. .. before .. .. they .. .. scatter .. .. most .. .. considerably .. .. on .. .. these .. .. hills .. .. & .. .. through .. .. the .. .. valleys, .. .. light .. .. enough .. .. to .. .. float .. .. across .. .. the .. .. tops .. .. of .. .. the .. .. pines, .. .. by .. .. god’s .. .. wind’s .. .. desire, .. .. but .. .. volitionless .. .. themselves, .. .. gentlemen, .. .. volitionless, .. .. that’s .. .. my .. .. point, .. .. my .. .. very .. .. point, .. .. that .. .. here .. .. we .. .. have .. .. to .. .. confront .. .. our .. .. own .. .. chasm .. .. from .. .. the .. .. side .. .. of .. .. it .. .. that .. .. is .. .. most .. .. realizably .. .. us, .. .. most .. .. describably .. .. us .. .. ourselves, .. .. you .. .. see, .. .. gentlemen, .. .. we .. .. look .. .. across .. .. this .. .. chasm, .. .. we .. .. know .. .. it .. .. gentlemen, .. .. for .. .. we .. .. can .. .. see .. .. it .. .. from .. .. the .. .. hill .. .. where .. .. we’ve .. .. had .. .. the .. .. courtesy .. .. to .. .. plant .. .. our .. .. tents, .. .. from .. .. this .. .. vantage .. .. we .. .. can .. .. see .. .. across .. .. the .. .. chasm .. .. to .. .. that .. .. place .. .. where .. .. we .. .. are .. .. the .. .. least .. .. us .. .. & .. .. yet, .. .. gentlemen, .. .. still .. .. ourselves, .. .. the .. .. place .. .. where .. .. we .. .. are .. .. least .. .. ourselves .. .. & .. .. yet .. .. also .. .. ourselves, .. .. where .. .. we .. .. are .. .. ourselves .. .. but .. .. ourselves .. .. obscure .. .. & .. .. unfamiliar .. .. THICK CLOUDS At the train station, Faust appears, dressed for travel, poorly garmented, his thin hair, his hastily shaven beard. He’s a rapist. He’s combing the landscape. He has yet to find who he can give what to. Who he can give what to.

The mastery of others. .. .. An insect.

The eggs tap together as they boil. In Trakl, the world is subordinate to his melancholy.
The world is his melancholy’s bitch, even as
he’s the kicked dog of the world.
Rings touch and quail
yet climb foliage,
where that foliage langours in a soaring spherical reef.
It came all at once,
he felt humble before the egg.

There’s no instruction to be found here, or if it is the instruction is continuous demonstration, instruction by way of a wheel rack of incessant models by demonstration no sooner does the wheel turn on its axis then a new model is being .. .. demonstrated, like a new coin from a rolling coin press, and the newly minted currency is the ideal currency, the coveted emblem, and one has to earn it and it is easy to earn it

one must merely demonstrate one’s understanding insofar as one does understand of the notions the emblem fulfills symbolically, in a word, it’s easy, all too easy, easy because of the thing that it is, a thing made, a currency minted, is a thing that CAN BE made, can be minted, therefore, the instructions are known, and the ideal represented by this emblem pursues our coordination to the limits of the flesh.
THICK CLOUDS.

THICK CLOUDS

THE SICK FALL weeping and press rosy mirrors to their foreheads. This is an emblem of the electrical and magnetic operativeness between and within organelles. Even as the rings
are movements, He instinctively stopped working
and brought his cupped hands to the vital portion
of his middle thorax. Speech
became an extremity of light, with value for the hunter
One’s right hand may refer to a state
of total exhaustion, the herds
wheeling through a storm
pursued by wolves, black bears, mountain lions,
you get the idea.

many around, many are found and doesn’t it seem that they nudely rise to one’s perspective like water vaults, and you might crave to look back at any one you’ve admired, though they’re all the same, but your eyes, though your own, don’t obey you, and they’re defended (from what?) by something they fear or that deep in the nervy cushions of their tissues they fear might arrive from the arrival of the foggy lozenges of the water vaults.

Fear of human remains, and fear of inhuman remains.
Inability to detect if the wall is bellying out from moisture and age, inability to detect the bulge in the brick wall that would alert him to this fact of the walls coming down.
PRAISE IS A BIER

You can have died on praise. Seeming to seep
night cold, hidden, seeming to seep.

Empty cliffs drone, the ageless.
The marvelous, I want to have been
made whole, there are shadows scudding
noiselessly because I admit no noise,
at first I thought I don’t know, I placed

my socks on the heated coils to be heated
and in doing so

threw down the stairs the messengers
numerous ways. It began so, and for four

days following nothing else should look
what you like, people ask the year, ask
where the garden is, or the ridge, but

I know nothing, I tell them so and my tenderness
that’s boundless is refused utterance
cannot sharpen to a practical dimension that
in parallel with the data given
would reveal its titanic lethargy.
What if I woke up as something I didn’t understand.





No stars come to be looked at, there’s no amour

between leaves. This will be the course, there, course,

of one’s life.

I crowd with the men leaping for the ball. I am like

someone I’m not, anointing with the storm that

crosses the palm.






I don’t wander the streets. I wander this house. There are mountains here which are my inner life, I know them no differently than it and they know me, just as well, which is to say they know me completely if my reflections about them are actually theirs and if those same reflections constitute my entire being. And I understand everyone’s love, and everyone’s love has been foreshadowed in the contradicted season I rejoice lifting my wing flapping in the traveling through. I love to think and as I do my love flows silently. Never am I more silent than when I’m speaking, and never am I more speaking than when tombs throb in incommensurate apportionment to the slick wiles of the memory. No more is here. Forgetting is all we have
MICHAEL THOMAS TAREN belongs to the order Anguilliformes, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and about 800 species. His chapbook eunuchs is out from Ugly Duckling Presse. He is the translator of Soy Realidad (Dalkey Archive, 2014), and Justice (Black Ocean, 2015), both by Tomaz Salamun. He is the co-translator (with Purdey Lord Kreiden) of Mated [Wakefield Press] by Joris-Karl Huysmans and Atlantic Island [Semiotext(e)] by Tony Duvert.