Negative Statement Poem by Steve McCaffery

two divisions.
one)
knowing. nothing. into. understand.
two)
something.
touched.
someone.


1) sequences outside of the categories
labelled ‘telephones'
e.g. the milk arrived.

2) the things all found a personal
vocabulary. every word insulted
everyone
without looking.

1) knowing nothing into understand. and
this almost said solemnly was the one
that least occurred to me.

ii) i sent my heart in the upper pocked
or perhaps we made the bed in two
seconds after we eliminated the
third floor.

and nothing else to risk but
to hear her drinking. 1)

something solemn touched something in the
upper pocket.



2)

knowing something touched nothing without
drinking. 1)
(i love onions 2)

i told her so one.
in one second 2.

in two seconds flat
the things that change conceal

a system of ideas
for instance the trains went by to come
back on a roll of film

they were both standing in the courtyard
when i came she was

2) sitting on the steps in a mans
handwriting shutting my eyes to what
remains to be said.

1) an immense silence which had nothing to
do with silence.


2) for a long spell
a spell of weeping begins to come.