I couldn’t read my intervention on how hegemonic ideology physically changes the way people see the world until I put on my new glasses with the thick black ear pieces that are all the rage now. I started to see things as if I were a point-of-view shot in a movie, so I knew I was getting ready to do something bad. I’ve come to terms with everything I’ve ever done, but I’m still embarrassed by the hair on my nose. When I look in the mirror, I think of the mathematical statement that 1 can be noted two ways, either as 1 or .99. People who believe that someday their Prince will come have never really been constipated.

 

[specimen]

She was a mail-order bride, yet she resented our kidnapping her, which struck us as a little inconsistent. But that fighter plane what costs $150 million is our health care system. He said, “floating bridges the relationship between solid and liquid.” Then we found the bridge didn’t float. The committee took a never-say-die approach toward investigating reports of reincarnation.

 

[specimen]

Only 27% of the people surveyed could tell where their lungs are. My bowels moved and didn’t leave a forwarding address. Brits Say They Made Sperm. Monsanto used to make plastics; now it copyrights organisms, but I don’t think they go so well with muzak. My life changed forever when my date to the sixth grade prom wore a Stay Furry button on her dress. Scientists Reveal that the Human Body Glows.

 

[specimen]

No doubt aliens built the pyramids, but were they legal aliens? Now that I don’t get around easily, I’ve become interested in hyperspace. The website’s package tracking offered a “Quantum View” and, indeed, it could tell me either that the package was moving or where it was, but not both at the same time. The phrase “anxiety of the infinite” was so vague we realized we’d worry over it endlessly. It turned out the 80-ft. long boar thing wasn’t back projected-we were.

————

The following information about Mark Cunningham is true: he has four chapbooks out, all on-line:  Second Story and nightlightnight (with photographs by Mel Nichols), both from Right Hand Pointing; 10 specimens from Gold Wake Press; and Nachträglichkeit from Beard of Bees.  He also has three books out: BodyLanguage from Tarpaulin Sky Press, 80 Beetles from Otoliths, and 71 Leaves, an ebook from BlazeVox. Mark Cunningham is also a notorious liar. Look up any of these publications, and you’ll find nothing but advertisements for shampoo and donuts (and one instance of shampoo for donuts). Go ahead. Look them up.

One cow, then another, ignites in the March sun, then stands in the long shadows and crops hay. Death does not level all: if you covered the earth with pyramids whose tips all reached the same height, then somehow managed to put you hand on all of them at once, they would not feel even. In space, no one can hear you scream, and if anyone could, all the helium would make your voice sound funny.

 

Short-winged Mold Beetle

Just because your shadow is longer doesn’t mean your stature has grown. I could tell by the way she was dressed that she was very modest and that she was wearing a pink bra. People are one thing, but when the refrigerator changes tone, you need to listen.

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Mark wants you folks to know that Otoliths will be bringing out a book titled 80 Beetles, which will be a collection of, guess what, these beetle poems.