Issue 2: Francis Raven
As If Anatomy
1.
Correction, that is the human:
to discuss ourselves
via the structure and function
saw my first human brain
appreciated
like a light, the cord to which
is taped over on itself
to prevent the coming short.
2.
There is no peer: original.
That it is always with us to measure to come in from the dark because
the ruler is not visible in a cave, purposively repeating.
Mirror as memory, infinitely
if another
only if another.
3.
We're going to follow a shallow depression back with the markers makes sense.
4.
Facing forward (and palms
in evident relationships) sight
such as it is housed
is medial to grip. Then we can introduce the terms of our existence
a contrast in contracts, if you will
face forward
when in line
you are moving towards.
It is self-regulating:
length will never extend beyond value.
5.
We make up the body
as another.
It wants to move
lining and covering, up until now
the warm sheath
awaiting contraction
blistering us each to solitary corners
thanks to the passions
but
the mind sleeps I tell you sleeps
until its third book
more itself
than itself. We'll start with the x-ray
used for hard tissues
namely bones.
6.
If it was conveyed
you can think it without seeing it is always pouring so you swallow
your foot is where you know your foot is where
your mouth is where
you need more protection of the wall, more voice
for variety: words do more than one thing
while muscles have one function, exactly
and are good at it. And the world was good
then each thing in the world was good at it
is the question conveyed.
7.
Which is the cavity where we put all of the water.
It is flowing
but posteriorly
after the rain
the idea of circulation
is going to be attached
through what are called girdles.
8.
If you look at the hand it is another hand pinned to another thing
knowing it's your hand.
9.
The promise of the skeleton
holds you up
bets are off: will fix
to arrange
within molding
and fit together
like bones, souvenirs
of this life. There is an asterisk by what you want.
It aches.
You will not pass the post today.
10.
It is soft, closes as soon as possible after passing through, just
connective until hard.
11.
But this is paper thin so turn the imagination towards the middle ear
to scrape out towards scars because an individual had an infection you
have one too connected to
houses clear thoughts of correcting direction
that we might know him better
only on the skull
veering, waves splashing words.
12.
With all the ascending information
motors descend
meeting midway
but our cord has its segments
halfway of half is all you can afford
until you are nothing
not even moving your hands.
13.
Well the pain was running down the arm. Whatever overflows the body
kills the body.
14.
How far down the respiratory tract are we?
Branches; sometimes the break supports some of our wishes
but not everything can be known. Not everything can be reviewed.
That's a different system. Let's stay with this. Asides.
Besides.
Plural. Plura.
If I were to tell you
inflammation's
ventricles.
Stock is stalk.
Singular seeing. Are really lost.
15.
And with what smile? Therefore,
next slide inflamed. We have a
nerve inserting obliquely. And with
what pain fibers, laterally
inserted. How can you say you've done anything?
The body is passive before all else.
Whatever it does it has
done nothing.
16.
You often can't tell just by asking how much pain you're in.
17.
It is symmetrical and developed within
symbiotically with their own outer membranes.
Out. Out of another.
Once was another. When is two one?
This is a slightly more viable question than:
Why is there something rather than nothing?
Forming a ring still within. I have this thing inside.
It is a ring
running in reverse.
18.
The body is one because it stays together as one
not for nothing
but
19.
It's just an explanation of where it is but where it is is in the body
but the body moves
the
body moves.
20.
Whatever can be separated is not existence.
A disease is a contradiction
though unfortunately
not a logical one.
21.
A wavy line of disposition shakes a nonexistent hand versus what's in
the head is at odds focuses left at the expense of what's still there.
Francis Raven's publications include two volumes of poetry, Shifting the Question More Complicated (Otoliths, 2007) and Taste: Gastronomic Poems (Blazevox, 2005) as well as a novel, Inverted Curvatures (Spuyten Duyvil, 2005). He has published poems various journals, including Bath House, Chain, Big Bridge, Bird Dog, Mudlark, Caffeine Destiny, and Spindrift among others.
