Notes towards a new anti-war 'epic' ...

[Phil Talbot]

Words cross the space more quickly than I can,
But, like my (‘pseudo’.poetical?metricA.L.?)feet\feat, (they/we) is\are prone to\2 ...
Tipping/tripping/tripe’n ... etc .. ....

[Phil Talbot]

New /n.u. ‘Son’t {14lineRs}(platonic?) ‘Forms’?!...
The BRUTE’sh/brt’sh (re)entry of an U.N.natural wind...
(But swirled into life by most primeA.L. force.)
UnS.T.oppAble. And yet (@ sir/surPriz’ed?}
Seemingly sentimental : it brought things/them together.

The room(s) joined them too, as did the walls,
Ceilings, carpets, cupboards, (comfortable) chairs...
... cups, plates, knives, forks, spoons (soup, desert, and tea) ...
All mixed (as if) ‘effortlessly’ into the cooling collation.

The bed, scene of so/too many unreviewed playlets,
At once decorative, functional, redundant,
(It was not left out): it’s rose-patterned sheets
(ParenTal presents, never liked) were dyed/died, d’flowered, and dusted ...

+

(You read/listen blankly. What does this mean?
I shrug: too early, too late, to ‘e’X.plain{‘n’simple?!}.)

[Phil Talbot]

Afterwards...
After ‘words’ ...
You ‘came’ to visit ...
One version has it ...

After-wards/(‘more’?!,Mmmmm...) words,
You comes/came to/2 visit ...
One/1 version has’t(I.T?a.i.?!) ...
(the) bulb turned off (phil’a’meant?) filament still lit,
Like/as if ‘strangers’ we met by ‘contrived chance’ ...
... another way(s) of seeing/c’n I.(p.)t/‘it’? ...

[Phil Talbot]

As ‘strangers’ we met by ‘contrived chance’?
(Another way of seeing ‘it’?)

[Phil Talbot]

Helpless/HopelessAddicts,
We picked up Old(e)Habits:
An(emote-t’shon-A.L.)’Autopsy’.

I used a blunt kit(sch)en knife;
You favoured a cleaver..
But the ‘body’ proved frustratingly formless,
Bloodless ‘n’ Gutless:
A {H}‘ollywood corpse.

[Phil Talbot]

That night, not knowing why(?),
We shared a bed.
But once-‘common items’
We’re now guarded ‘personal effects’.

[... “a.little touch” o’harry/hairy {Phil.T.hi!/filthy} in the/inth’ the night/nite\nightie ...]

[Phil Talbot]

Moving ...
(A.L.’tell touchin’)
Flirting & Fleeing...
We were ‘past/passed’ M.’brac(e)ing’ ...

[Phil Talbot]

Who(M) were You?  Was that me? WotUS?
Never! It could not B.! But, ‘doubt-less’’ it waZ

[Phil Talbot]

My t.v.-educated mind(s) flicker(s) ...
I/they click it ...
... off ... on ... off ... on ...
... off ... on(ce) ...
... once more ...

The picture re-focuses  ...
As if re-lucantly ...

[Phil Talbot]

A Greek island ...
A Beach ...
A Day in Summer ...

[Phil Talbot]

Turbulent Ire/is/ LAND ...,
Volcanic, unstable:
No scene-sweller!
It/She is cast(e) mid-stage ...

Watch carefully ...
She/ it might do anything next ...
 ’?!

[Phil Talbot]

Turbulent island,
Volcanic, unstable,
No scene-swelled/dweller,
It is cast(e)mid-stage ...

Watch care-fully ...
It might ‘do’ anything
Next ...

[Phil Talbot]

A ‘turbulent’ Ire/isLand,
‘Volcanic’, ‘U.N.stable(iZing)’: no ‘scene-sweller’,
It is cast(e) ‘mid-stage’ - watch/listen/read ‘care’-fully,
It might do ‘any-thing’ next ...

[Phil Talbot]

(A.): strong (‘volcanic’) part!
But played by an ag(e)ing actor,
Who can no longer bellow ‘lava lines’,
Or ‘shake souls’ ...

[Phil Talbot]

Dying reputation prompts ‘applause’:
Reports of long-spent(out) passion(s)
Keep the watchers/listeners/readers ‘en-thralled’ ...
(‘ ... what a “falling/f’ng” off there was! ...)