by Becca Geislinger

Explanation: About once a week, I sell books for a local nonprofit.  When I'm not selling the books, they live in the trunk of my car.  When David referred to the ashes on Tuesday as the last remains of our last words, I realized I really wanted to see the juxtaposition of the ashes from our last words and the new words in the books about to be sold.  So, I took 32 of these books, flipped them open, and, without looking, rubbed an ashen thumbprint over some of the text.  Spur of the moment, I decided to copy down every word that was marked by at least some of the thumbprint.  I then decided to make a poem out of the cut-up text fragments.  Everything is in the order I initially read it.  I have not rearranged, changed, added, or removed any words.  I just played with the punctuation.  This is how it turned out. 

I felt myself,

had

cut.

parts were out.

Amanda .

the difference her.

but Amanda. . .  

finds                Tony’s                        consuming.

2 Timothy:

one

serving

as

affairs

that      he     

secured

and,

unless

he

strengthen,

real to inner.

circumvent Barge.

1905-6 .

Tokio.

Brockman.

Juan.

Fakenham.

16 Thetford.

written            if          everyone         it -

later.

calories:

80.

Brecht would.

native              city                  freedom

only you,

going to use

here     there’s.

to Rockefeller

in our pat,

what about some money?

 simple interpretations

of it

is

by their technology

them.

this type of shank

shaft.

the cable

is   f i t t e d     a t    r i g h t.

most sex

on the

with

wrestled

w i t h

 w i t h

t h i s

i n f o r m a t i o n

i n f o r m a t i o n. . . .  

missed it.

Satan.

Liars.

Bush’s seemed as much.

eating his.

if he were finished,

destroy

all their down,

all their shall.

dispossess.

dwell

therein posses it.

shall divide

among your lies.

on a little. . .  

bent,

its pages,

social movements,

support for movement,

led to:

family

taken the Jeffersons

and Tyler

d 

 o

                        w

                                    n    

t           h          e                     p          a          t           h.

found.

a large food.

the happen.

her it’s.

her doing.

if.

the illegals eventually discard time.

racial democracy is defined as artifactual political.

between

1          9          8          3

where

radio-active

hundred

are found.

drop.

in the lower-middle stratum,

from the men,

states topic

 purpose

purpose

objective.