Poetry
Excerpts from Beauty (Is the New Absurdity)
Beauty was thereafter ugly the new black till Roman come rioted Miss Mark’s kingdom quadrille speed now the new black billboards grey as Richter’s whores are standpoint’s seepage—what’s left of black is till Roman come rioted Why does beauty increase as civilization increases?
…occasion for ugliness: firstly, the emotions in their wildest
outbursts, secondly, physical exertions in their extremest degree; thirdly, the need to inspire fear through one’s appearance which is at lower and imperiled cultural levels so great and frequent that it even prescribes demeanour and ceremonial and makes
of ugliness a duty. … (Daybreak) til Roman come post noman are we opheliacs under altered ocean fishes under spell of the pill & silver like
Who’s Who as the shore’s
a border poisoned like Macarthur ordered: allocation
till total information
wareness
of host is past texted
the pyx and cwm
waitressed omnicorporal beauty you must swear to me upon a parcel-gilt goblet, sitting in my Dolphin chamber, at the round table, by a sea-coal fire, upon Wednesday in Wheeson week whose frequency makes of ugliness a duty till Daybreak
we will sleepers in capsules who flee spectral prison buzz amidst glass maws sung after
hims, with our etceteras own
allowed
Jennifer Scappettone’s recent writing appears or is coming soon in 26, 580 Split, Aufgabe, Chain, The Best American Poetry 2004, The Poker, Tripwire, Volt, War and Peace, and other places. She lives and co-curates various and elusive reading series in Berkeley.
Contributor
Jennifer Scappettone
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