Raworth Eternal Sections

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ETERNAL SECTIONSby Tom Raworth

Tom Raworth's poetry is at once narratively basedand is radically disjunctive, a writing that at everymoment seems to be pushing away from the line pre-vious but suddenly snaps back into a logical wholeand transforms the meaning and the reader's experi-ence of the poem itself.each district commanderset the boat further adriftits extremities shading to indigodeepening to a toneappropriate in some respectsit weaved and danced there

Author of over twenty books of poetry, Raworth isrecognized as one of the major British poets of the20th century. His recognition in the United Statesequals that of any of his countrymen. Robert Creeleyhas said of him, "Tom Raworth is the one who's trulymost interesting to me in England at the moment. I'mfascinated by what he's doing. He's an extraordinarypoet."In Eternal Sections, Raworth continues his study ofthe fluidity of meaning begun in Visible Shiuers. T};leresult is a brilliant work of art, clearly worthy ofinclusion in Sun & Moon's noted Classics series.

Sun & Moon PressLOS ANGELESrsBN 1-55715-129-5

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ETERNAL SECTIONS ETERNAL SECTIONSTom Raworth

Sun & Moon Classics: 23SLTN & MOON PRESSLOS ANGELES


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Sun & Moon PressA program ofThe Contemporary Arts Educational project, Inc.a nonprofit corporation6026 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90096First published in paperback in 19gB by sun & Moon press

1098765432rFIRST EDITION@Tom Raworth, 1993Biographical information @Sun & Moon press, lgg3All rights reserved

This book was made possible, in part, through a grant from thecultural Alfairs Department, city of Los AngeleJ, and throughcontributions to the contemporary Arts Educational project, I-nc.,a nonprofit corporationselections of this work previously appeared in Acts, Assemblance,Critical Quarterly, Emergency, A Gang of Four First Offense,fragmente, Joe Soap's Canoe, Kite, Loiis Zukofsky o,liho"uu,Some Else Thought He Was, Mgur, Mord.er Towei Anthology,

Notus, O One Anthology, Pages, pages du Collete d,e Bouffle, Fo"rievisible Exhibition, Poetica, Poetry society choice, six'sonnets,r o t t e r i ns s t a t e ( u'f; ;,!:!:" !;x"; I : :;{';:;:' v e r s e, w o o d,t a n d,Cover: Paul S6rus ier, TetrahedronsReproduced by permission of artist,s gallery and estateDesign: Katie Messborn

Library of Congress cataloging in publication dataRaworth, Tom (1938)Eternal Sectionsp.cm.- (Sun & Moon Classics: 23)ISBN t-557r3-t29-5I. Title. II. Series.811'.54-dc19cIP 901-50128Printed in the United States of America

without limiting the rights under copyright reserved here, no partof this publication masy be reproduced, siored in or introduced intoa retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means(electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording oi otherwise),without the prior written permission of both the copyright ownerand the above publisher ofthe book.

in black tunics, middle-agedin the stationery storeevery gesture, evenfood: to itthought which breaksstereotypes which constituteextennuated to the pointnone of the action's promotersthe user experiencesno need of actingdedicated to commercethe history of our ownstiffness of mannerno longer aligned

brilliance of the orange lilydown the gangways, silentin its broad bosomindifferent to the newmore delicate waysnever used nowwatered silk subdued by timewithin earshotextinguished the lamphushed for a few momentsdown they climbeddaring to look at itbefore midnightcould be fashioned into words


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her latest clotheswhistling in his throatchange was alcoholof granite setin springsasleep in a margintin made little impressionfor its armless shapebereft of all organsowned four important oilsretaining wallsrevealing even greater uglinessa death to othersincapable of going

sensibly notes tendssomewhat pleated crownswould not disclose atadvertising and anonymityhelp for thecost of a bidplaces are inspectedfrom such heightspermitting such an impressionif "black" is definedwith your back to the audiencethere is no sign of fatiguea policy of pure destructiontaken in unmarked lorries

the balloon had been left in placeremoved until weightmastering instead of masteredwas fitted with a formon the scene the sheepobserving whether they appearedless damatnng to the fabricstowed in a basketwith other animalseventually prevailedto such purposehe announced his intentionthrowing small pieces of paperto his own nemesis

he was certain of thatdeliberately he sent his gazefrom one episode of hypnotic absorptionon a razed daisto be authorisedinto his libraryat a particularly flat areain the machinea finger dramaticallyformed it into a systemfinding the thought that appliedneeded no prolonged intercommunicationmoment by momentcrinkled into a smile


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to use collective poweris an aspirationinsights become questionsstarting point, methodas the missioncan be nothing lessclamped down on themotherwise refusal to moveenvironment or surroundingsonly by a slight ripplemay be some dislodgementunder the appearance ofgoodsubmarine the more horrificin the open air

continue livingterrified by pincerscow's milk diluted with watersailed past his headwith the greatest difficultyin the tall mirrorsof poetry, but later onwhen children and women begansnooping around the orchardto ask for a packet of ricehe could not even tan their skinstalking about physical levitationin a tunnel of booksa plate of lentils or potatoes

most of the nation ignoredin droves duringtwo hours of prime timeto sample and ratetheir once conventional viewsdisaster gossip and sensationalismadvertised as the latestingratiating strategy paid offemployed as a weedyou must also contendto loosen upfewer pennies per prooflittle seems to have changedas homemakers play on

only slow ravages of rustmay be partdue to a balancethe collector would havein the remote pastmuch earlier lifepartitioned in a processto reach a high level longon a collision coursetwo chains are not identicalapart from a few credulousdrops of liquidreplicating themselvesfor as long as a million


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back up my statementbelt the diseaseor religious views of the statea speedy peaceful departurecould be quite belligerentand changes with timelovers'languagea politician's memoirsa street on the right bankpersist as customaccompanied by an apologeticattitude of periods beforea rather laughable argumentas is sometimes said

after a little combingand the max rationthere were no abstentionsfrom darkness to darknessagainst the rectangular openingin the deserted street aslip of papergripped my handbut the wide swathe around itcould only come from a wet brainpunched into the snowas consciousness came backthere was a coucha substitute body for mine

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its nearest rivaldidn't let the yobboes inon a stage beingwithin the paranoid leadershipwhat relationship does she enjoyany takers?speculatingin the normal course of businessto assert a normal humuntil, that is, thegreat big cork tagof the jury's verdictrows of boxeswatching many famous figures

folded printed piece of paperdrummed on the floorwaiting for a baggage machinea thinking reedcount on it workinga different use entirelylet him come near herdeep in his broodingwithout even knowingthe incident had leftincluding the two sirnulacraperfectly confidentto bring in a reasonable returnopen to them

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even before thatthe playground vanished from viewit just seemed Iike somethingstarted towards the gateand went incoming right on toptomorrow night, sayout, untilwords kind of diedin that Iong hourwe'd be a lot saferfor walking injerking drawersto be a hero

in one vascular bedfailure and shocktake the place of normalprecluding devel opmentuntil adulthoodtube shunt is removedassigned a value in a gradedrecurrence of chest painin motion the heart's rhythmis discoveredbypassing the narrow areaof the site and extentof surgical repairto observe the derriation of exitation

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utility workhorses we justexist merely to allowthe bus service inionisers and digital suitcasesand digital suitcases andthree-speed personalised thingsi suppose it wouldtake monthsto denounce itmy husband said yearsthe car telephone itmeans personal privacy aworking tool which ifcited, of course, is

thoughts are in real timeafter you've gonethey keep your body alivesending billsbankruptingyour childrenreserving the rightto legally definealiveperhapsthat technological bliprecords decayevening sunlightfirst sense of spring


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wondered about that familiar faceimpregnable to thievesthrough filmpulling his brainto a single spotremembrancehollow in the snowman's chesthe might have run furtherin a single tripa straight lineout of retirementattached to the water boxswishing feet behind the doorhe reasoned flatly, staring

shaped by a master craftsmanthe system was seen as a complexchance to unwinda used alto saxophonepaid a cover charge of three dollarsto stop using herointhe road-trip beganmore low-budget sessionssummoned to a pay telephonecharlie was late as usualenough of the original melody remainsauditory hallucinationsa blur of movementa pretty sound

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curving crumbling stairsenough chips to a portionfor days beforehandthe idea of a frshsomething had to be donethe main thrust isa bigger fatter specimenmore or less perpetualclad in the traditional strawfor much of the celebrationalongside all that seriousarrondissement, cordelia, the daughterhas a tiptoeing gaitwith what trading benefits

put forward the termson the rich man's patternendless confusion resultsall along, no systemabove meaningless tragedyor any other organ of governmentpredicting the pricesas long as this is observedhow things work in natureto lose but their chainsby acquiring "know-how"in the modern sectora fanaticism about the meansresistant to radical changes


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with the tommy gun readyplastered to celebratedim flames on dull metalfollowed right after it, obviouslya strategic spotseen, or reported seenglimmering in the twilight hazeconducting a natural investigationinto a human pincushionso the heads would showhalfway in and halfway outbut the patter of rainhit, and the lights went outsquarely within marked-off areas

came out with a piececlosing the door softlysplattering and building upon a concrete blockuntil a certain image passedquickly to one sidealong the edgesin his mind. the skeletonignorant of its true full naturedoes not adequately compensatebouncing aroundon its wire stema blunted linein that particular position

forced to actostensibly independent thoughtcan never admit its disposalinto a senseless gadgetpaid symbolic tributeby an appraising lookforms of decadenceexclude schematic parablesno less seamedwithin traditionused to meana product that does not bearthe compactly economical shapeof a brutal national economy

pity his conditionarmed with great ambitionsconceived in their regardrather than his ideasclose to their originsby what aberrationurgent and irreduciblewithout detecting its artificeswill he attempt to rouse them?indefrnite and dissolving withinforced to face their depthswithout a backgrounduniform and easy to endurefatality impregnates them

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their every movementin enjoyment of a comfortabledazzling illuminationwould probably causemoral decayan intensified tendencyduring these short grey daysas the room grew yet darkerthey would revolve around itfrozen into impossible attitudesunder the threatening shadowof whispering leavesexpanding and contractingthe fashionable world

fear that increasesdoes not make them cry outquite without featuresfrom some remote pasteach corner of the roombegan to humdistrustful of musicso far as its temposnow crushed under footlay stretched out before usa vast plainmenaced by stirringsthrough small oval shadesbiting his diamond buttons

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upon a metal platformenclosed by a wooden gatethe brazier glowedferocious and chimericalbeneath their nosesa smooth knife bladecarved mysterious whorlsalong nervesdoors and window framesnearly obliterated by rain and winddrew his eyesinto a crack in realitypromising secretsmemories not his own

talking loudly into the phonewhere various rubber stamps hungfor the duration of the wakea dog in the next roomscreamed with laughterin the shadealmost completely trampled downshe was wearing a fur coathanging at such an angleagainst his upper arrnthe black silkwas wetdeeper and more remotesince the border was mined

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his nature must be amorousscurrying alonghis misery is a touching sightwhen wooden blinds at the topsuddenly risein a hurry to tell youthere is only a thin wall betweentaking us always by surprisefeeling sorry for the mediumin the full glare of a lampthe person holding it completely hiddengenerally asks him to explaincan see that she isstanding in pale moonlight

still be able to describewho offered us our birthto everythingin the course of gradual progressthrough desolate forestsdisappears after death"outside" of ourselvesmoving rhythmicallybecoming lightto be born againthe same as menot the experienceof talking animalsseparating worlds from each other

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on an eight-minute nudgeinferior form of wordspropped, fragmentingglad of the firethe lamplightnothing describedtransparent materialsthrough onea white pick-upan aluminium ]addera donkey-jacketa blurred facevanishing rightbehind a plastic flowerpot

limp wires fed electricityinto a pool of crude oilcropped rose canesstuck up a nail now and thenlofty with superstructurein a tuck of the hillsno-one stirredwhite and sharp in the darka terracotta sculptureof cardboard boxestook up most of the spacewithout touching itone of them begins to bleedin the rental car


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your things are in the bathroomhe mentionedwith the dialing tonework out what horseclumps them all togetherdeeply he longed for a thirdimmune from accidentsthrough good worksdry in a microsecondfresh from the desertdo you mind if we go back there?to the bamboo roomdraped in dust sheetsfor historical reasons

returning to sculpturemy folded chairshakier on the insidegave me a keyalthough of course anyonewalking the streetsaid there might be some paralysisin my back pocketplaying with ideasmoving them aroundon the page this wayafter a light turned redthey eluded meuntil ten o'clock

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reflections from the fire-boxmoved swiftly to the bedroomkeeping a wary eyeunlocked and openacross the desert, hummingfog had lifted a littlebetween the black treetrunkshe turned and twistedpropped up on three pillowsweird blue moonlightdissipated the gloomy murderleaving short-Iived silvery trailsdrifting in rather large numberslousy with glass

covered with hairbrain lesions, red visionso disturbingly profoundstatus depends on a culturaladaptation to social lifea drearier, Iess attractiveworld in thegratification of the proprietywritten by evolutionto be thought youngobserving otherscheated by their playmatescounting myself among themalongside signal colouration


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colours are to be heightenedstained with wine and aleforced out of their proper channelswith places, for examplespinning in a new directiongrey anxietyan art by accidentbrings back a memorythat is the curse of itstriving for the tightof complete abandon to the momentthis is the opal hushthrough whichit is impossible to see

this waiting is difficult onlyfocused on the wall behindand the pale placid facelight coming from a small lampwas too thick for her throatlike that in townmaybe she wasn't seeingwith a fractured skullthe blackness under his eyelidseating up that smokeonce some sound came invery fast and hit his armhis other hand went out for the matchesawake and quietly capable

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hell-bent on makinga streetcar back. in his mindhe sold snake oilwith you setting there rockingat this ignoble tradeup in the front linesto put it in dialectall these roads around herejammed into every possible Placewould make your head achedark outside, and snowingtoward the front of the houseoverlooking the oceanp ositively contaminated

minarets were built singlYin a typically irregular waYproducing small cofferssurrounded by such elahorate borderspierced by windowsanimated with stylised figuresthat no empty space was leftgeometric symbols were usedincised or modelledin a wide variety of shadesgiven an intense luminositYthe earliest illustrated textswork with an emphasison fi gurative representation

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in the order of emergencethe first throaty chuckleschange to one syllablein the focus of activityalso providingthe normal basic crya strong elementhalfway through the periodseparated by brief pausessure what they meaninto longer sequencesaccompanyiirg heart and respirationbabbling a random selectionof well-practiced sounds

competing with the otherswho treat and prevent ulcersof personality if you Iikea judgment system in voodoounless you've seen themforemost in their memoriesyou start to notice thingsgrow up, make mistakesIook the samein a parody of a staggerto the point of paranoiabut profound nonethelessan open invitationover the pounding gaelic back-beat

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even though the jazz feelingthe collaborative aspectsmake a significant statementuntil we're all happythe artificial sound of tapefrom one block to anotheredits real fastindividual momentslayering and mouldingapproaches to their instrumentswhere he could burnwandering acrosstype time dimensionkeys, tempos, etc.

such division into subjectsconsequences of a failuredefined by humanist criticismmust be understood alwayswith the same concern in minda different style of beautymay appear to be a contradictionof generic charactercapable of moving freelyin a diachronic processover the motions and expressionsof beauty properthe difficulty of this positionis not at all troublesome


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a picture, or a model, isnot false but nonsensicalapart from their particular Iogical formsmanifest in the signifying relationthis fact contains in itselfcertain structural propertiesnot at all essential to logicthe essential characteristicprovides the necessary intuitionwithout having any ideawhich avowedly depicts the factsbounded by solid substancebecause arguments of the wrong kindmust be independent of reality

they lost what it had takento compare with theirsmaking co-operation impossibleonly limited territorygave her a refugeby hereditary rightand feeble conquestssetting up a governmentfired with enthusiasmto discuss them more thoroughlyhe has to fearvices which are necessarybefore he actson those who may plot rebellion

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imperative is the indexof a knowing discoursecounter to the laws of logicin classical or market caPitalismit works or it does notat the same levelin these fragmented textsof a pure code-spacebetween expression and contentthe same time is alreadY historYwithout a mirrorthe abstract Posturewill be difficult to ascertainon the recording surface

iridescent notationdid not clearly distinguishthe name as obfuscatorYwithin an alien codein the first echolaliasof the hipposbut it really hurtthe plausiblea thematic occurrential rolecarries this abstraction much furtheras he nourishes himselfpressing, turning in various waysoutside the laws of humanitYthe inventor Projected

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shadows made of woodby a variation in the numbercommon to bothupset the wave.ing balanceenough to be traumaticin transit imagessomething has been going onin many photographsa prolonged, vast, patient processnot paroxysmala kind of delightwhich pluralises the meaningdemanded by gesturebut conserves it in the present

two small cakes and one tartwith smears of catsup all aroundenough for them botha place where something never depictedIooked through the windowfor a scarcity of possible subjectsoutside the most boring minutiaof concrete workscontinuous history runningamong other dolorous Iessonssterilizing all wombsinvoking metaphysicsboth turnto renounce their internal forces

terrified whines pulsedto the bacilli columnstill in the opencreating from themselvesif you don't want totheir own abhorred imageof a powerful bodyin an earthquakeimpeding heighton inadequate evidenceno less frightenedmemory swept over himmotionlesshis brain refusing to work

knowed pretty well wotthe editor distinctly didwhen a recent attemptartistically rounded and forcedhis last gold coinout into the lonelier plainwhere nothing seemed to be livingon his neighbour's shoulderwithin rifleshotsylvan seclusion was restoredin an instantswaying in the storma few paces from the cabinthey disposed themselves variously

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apart from supportingthose summer lettershe learned or resolveda trick of memory or of stylefit for a dissertationtrying to embody a moral idealconscious political sentiment was rarecorresponding to logical propositionsmoved in a directionto be described lateron its ownconversation in the various senseshangs on his absolutely morbid convictionthat he is certain he will die

the vast generic tumbleincluded a certain assumptionat regular intervalstraces of colourminute increments of experiencejolted up an inclineinto mexican nightevery fragment rushed awayoutlined against the whiteflashlight's beamsamples of her bloodback in the car reversedthe pure designof some big deal

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wisdom not to be deniedfrom the sounds and smellsmust be a better wayunderground or wherever he goesduring that timestylised practicepopped openconsidered withdrawal windowswithout further negotiationsdepth perception was enhancedthe shiny puddle at her feetmoved out of stateannouncing to the worldwhat was phony to begin with

at their best in supposed adversitybacked up by a work-ratethat slid offthe facehomebased journeymencollected enough bonusto put their hostswhose reflexes were attunedon edgeunder renewed pressurein a specialist trapsupercilious criticslip-reading after wintercontemplated their failureto soldier on

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as frantic public relationsdelivering this cryptic warningbegan clearing a path to their doorisolating the active elementsimply by their own perceptionsthe shadow passedthrough a magnifying glassfirst as an infantin a leper colonythen a figureseeking a wayto share space and timethrough the subtle use of cluespart of the cultural static

a very strange kind of interventionled to the conclusiontime is also finitefurther apartwhen you subtract infinityalthough this technique is rather dubioustravelling in a certain directionan isolated system always increasesthe matter particles getfrom the point of view of tryingthus memory passesfaster than Iighttoo rapidly to join updi sordered arrangements

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when they arrivedthere was no responsenewspapers scattered across the floordiscarded clothingthe apartment still smelledofpasteboard cartonsshe hurried forwardmaking a breathy whirrhe put out his cigarafter a moment's hesitationcigarette smoke hottgpast them, descendedfrom the darknessskittered away

whistling near the riverprimary colours and childlike perspectiveseconomically in competitionwired them togetherto be part of the strugglefrom the far side of the clearingrain made tiny rivuletsintense but so fleetingwhen the last coin was gonein front of his typewriterfaltering into silencehe rearranged the drapeshigh above his headalmost daily routine


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across the streetsurveillance of the premiseswatched them dancingcrisp and clear and sharpin silhouetteunrelieved by sunshinethe changlng temperaturecould get colderincessant chattertrying to pierce his skullhe kept one forefinger pressedthrough the inexorable cyclethe elevator ground its waywithout any concrete result

major actsreshaping the periodproved a paralysing choicea crucial featurequoted but never fully explainedat the very coreexperienced as arbitrary governmentundermining the independence of townsto reassert central controlfrom the mobilisation of resourcesdespite the riskof an immeasurably greater alarmconscious of differenceunder the law

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a record of attractionscooked by the landladyof a shrinking variety worlddeveloped a slightly different cachetthe moment pen reached papersome frantic scissoringfilled his basket with iron weightsdrifted to another worldbuilt before the wardressing hurriedly in the darkpacked before creditors arrivedswathed in mohair rugsin muted coloursmorale was at zero

each district commanderset the boat further adrift,its extremities shading to indigodeepening to a toneappropriate in some resPectsit weaved and danced thereblack fungus grew in the cornersan opening in its shellpushed fanciful ideas asidestretched and stretchedas he waited for a replymisty at firstcreeping towards the frontto banish dreams

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ends of white railingremember where he foundthe pole: waterwas the lanternfrom which she watched himerect, rigid beneathhis hair still dampfrom this distanceshivering in thedissolving sky joltinga little againstcertain improbable crisesto feel concussed airbeyond the down-plunging man

they look at one anotherwith the nervous expectancyof a revolverloaded with blanksseeing a nest preparedquicker than the time it tooksomething to despisethe street that sensedhis cardiac engineprodding the lyricwith a quick dipin hot waxreluctantly acrossshooting red and blue flames

because of her ideasmeaning is fluidso deep it cannot bepurely ideologicala statistician's viewpointold at the time it was donedespite their overwhelming numbersa city of corpsesdrew no distinctionsenforcement became easiera fitting finalehistorically necessarycalculated in proportion to incomeby the individual in question

experience -- the sudden rushof concentrated delusivenessa race between soundsthe luminous, pricelessfumblings of uninstructed peopledimly aware how surprisinglystable is soon to be shakyin cycles, like starswaiting till dawnuniversally tiredaltered past recognitionof personal individualityshutting only ugliness outwhen that sudden light comes

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sight indeed seemedunbidden and uninvitedbefore frost blewbacked by luxuryfrom her barely opened mouthpainfully by his shoulderin the directionof the vast waxed hardwood floorthey heard his ribsmite her optic nerveto jellya sound almost eerieas deathpassing through lips and nostrils

the thing aparthad been going to tell methe darkness beyondmade of solidstill reflected lighta deal higher upclose to the surfacethere's a fake wallsmall and wide-setlines on his foreheadused to be a back staircasesprang up from the pathempty, a couple usedmodern clinks with pastel

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you will also be breathingthe tune back and forthfrom past experiencecontaining musicand other noise-makersnow somewhat oxidizedsunlight glitteredon her appointment bookwhile we sipped hot teafar more disturbingformal and shinya whole network of cracksmore or less intactnot having a front door

sat still in contemplationwithin the apartmentthe aphrodisiac of animal terrordemanded long hours of workshot full of holesin a ctazy weavewith possible infrdelitywhere sections of thick flooringsagged dangerously. pools of wateralong a moss-covered pathwayfluttered open, closed, open againby the time his bodytumbled frenziedly out of bedand his breathing had slowed


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talk of national socialismwas crushed with great brutalityto prepare this forcewhich had resisted democracyconfused by the interventionruthlessly swept asidejust before a general improvementand the market systemcreate a satisfying atmospherethe autonomy statute suspendedwages during the wara manifestation of the degeneracywhich gave the new regimerevolutionary preten sions

a replica of itselfwill point the directionIeaving only a line of forcescarcely loose enough to coverfluctuations of randomlyweak interactionsreverse all the moleculespossessing negative inertial massthe contracting pulseconstantly being recycledmust have a minor imagea glaring instancebinding togetherelectromagnetic waves

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disturbed by this strange phenomenoneasily washed by rainwatera well-informed persontwist that around as himwill enjoy electrical enerryunderstandably alarming to the publicbut others arguepeople seeking redressmay well receive exposureto naturally occurring radiationshooting through their bodiesa device called a grtdintensely at close rangesbefore indoor showers

lighter out of her handhe closed the door carefullyless tentatively this timenot Iooking her in the eyered through scarlet and pinkwelcomed when it cameriding around in the backa space in the middletransformed the involuntary thrillto try to deal with itdown on the edge of a chairwide and forty inches wideon a knot in the veneerdreamed up by fashionable

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obliquely phrased conversationsdropped in during the eveningothers did differentlyhad one child, a sonpoverty is true but naturala remarkable range of toneshot engine oilsun through foga split second of fearbeing broken apartthrough prescriptive framesfull of a particular itemthe sound of another voiceastonishingly tolerant

forces that operatein such an electrically shielded placethe needle turned on its axisa charge on amber or glassare regarded as side effectsstrange and implausiblestronger the closer you getin the period before hypnosisthis simple re-orientationpresents an intricate, complexpicture of matterbound tightly to its constituentelectron currentswith the brain in a region

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if you thinkback anyhow she promptlygave with a start, spillingwhat lay beneath the tarpaulincoming from him the informationdidn't stand cross-examinationtalking away to beat the bandtwo danish pastriesthe glass was crystaltransferring some businessthrough the weatheryou ll get a good tipwhether you get into this thingor avoid aggravation

grey stone house just insidethe law's assistanceshe first tried to get to sleepwith a telescope on tophe can see for himselfagainst the mesh, screechingto let himself believe ithalfway up her thighworking a corkscrewfaster than realityhe grabbed a carton of cigaretteshours before anyone stoppingheard her sing itall over the bricks

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headlights illuminated the ceilingwith a kind of excitementyou could see several moleson the glass-topped tableduring the next hoursympathies would alwaysbe more unmistakably litas eyes lose their focuswhen the subjectbecomes routinebeneath this oneafter black coffeethere was another motiveshe could assemble slowly

curious how little eyidence survivesof this large flourishing regionsome trace of the scarsweakening international languageremained as an elementin the valleyswhile Iabour was cheapin the form of minorfeudal services whichcould be organized in more coherentinstruments for repressiona new and rapidly expanding trademoments of revulsion were rareindulged in with caution

sharply defined periods of individualismfade with age, as a rulesensation is registeredexpanded around methe substrate of emotionsmerely act as gatekeePersdisrupted by stressunlike scientific instrumentsgripped by handsreversed right to leftan inhibition of the recall mechanismcaused by oxygen shortageswamps the cortexbefore we know about the external world

to improve social behaviouraccording to the disposition of mindharmony must contemPlatefairly realistic portraitssanctuaries of colour and musicin other cubicles until allcommunicate with the deademotionally they are coldthe capacity to concentrate deterioratesvisual efiiciency, manual skillas well as psychic comPonentsdrift in random sequencean attempt to turn bluesuggests accomPli shment

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ones initial reaction is stunned beliefa small but well-stocked kitchenenclosed by a barbed chainlink fenceout in the middle of the roadfocussed and unfocusseddigital numbers glowboxes of food are everywheresurrounded by thin rings of icedespite the heatsaffron and basil saturate the airsprouted by the doorstepwindows painted opaque whitemottled with brownbeginning to slough off

an arrangement of prisms and trianglesotherwise neutral subjectsIatent in technolorycould not be rolled backby the intersection of planesin all their casual brightnessforms sunk to near-ilegibilityat a common Ievel as spectacleprevent him from seeing clearlysharp tonal contrastsnature even in betweenstrange contortionscan still pick with accuracythen fuse in a complete form

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maintaining the same distancethe doctor checked him with a gesturepointing to a circular florescent plateon which was carved the symbolof accelerationduring the hottest hoursevery motion was untaught metrenight came, and he sentpart of his consciousnessoutward through the soft soilno houses or signs of human lifein the visual freldthe world drabblack from decay

more sensitive phonecallssince the last recorded entrypaying or giving back the moneysaving a very patrioticobjective poured himself a coffeedevoid of imaginationspaced around its frontwith no communication from the topsteady tone that's interestinga persuasive argumentbefore he made his movethis taste of the artsflashed fire on the horizonone can no longer excuse or forget


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moral principlesso fresh and crispchallenge the natural state of affairsstill warped from having been foldedin the same placeenvelopes came sliding throughto be in his vicinityat close rangehe turned on the bulbangled over a washbasinrashly to forsake anonymitywith a compensatory grinastonished that the stack emittedone word for every half dozen

knuckles on his left, handfree of matted bloodrouting po ssible follow-upsout of the hospitalshe realised it was too coldto express condolencesin prison phone clueskeep quiet and happyscuttlebutt fi ltered through instinctssubsided into a ]ow simmershe blew a lazy smoke ringspoke less in tiradesthe silents were movingtake your picture now

faint blue stripeslender with a lovely linesoared magnificently upreached a noisy climaxthen disappearedhe woke in a room strange to himemerging into view feet firstshe struggled, beat the mattressjerked her hand freeput his glass on the windowsillthe wrapper had slipped offa state of complete exhaustiondisclosing a red tile flooran odour of damp mould

new research areasthe sequence diverges!in the places signifiedthe iteration converges!joining neighbouring valuesto construct convincing natural formsupon which one could relyshould not be so greatas to obliterate everythingbut the edges of the model spacein the air between themwithout true perspectivewhich generates slanting linesin the basin crumpling only up

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we could turn toget this messagea few words phoneticallyachieving escape velocitydancing towards menear dawnas if by accidentmissing pieces of informationsynchronise its releaseon a conscious basisanimals always sawin the most economical fashionit makes no differencewe are now cut off

emphasising the purely decorativehistory repeats itselfusing shading to explain formequal introspection in the viewerreveals the disillusion inherent in iteliminated -- there is no depthto the story but an attemptto handle the masses withinyet the idea does pointhow comfortable he had becomeextending the group of buildingswith a minimum of effortinto limitless blue or greya window is completely empty

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soon the survivorspossessed a culture much olderbelieved the information even ifbeset by civil discorddriving a wedgein the teeth of oppositionbetween those who had sufferedable to stand the lossand the novelty of the situationthey made a great thrustalong the last fringethat was to protect herwith improved antiseptics and anaestheticsfrom suicide and bankruptcy

looking for shelter will causechange to support a habitinto the grindersall were watching their terminalsflowering after the long winterthe search had gone much furtherdown the projectpast the edifrcesturned silvery with Iighttoo brightto help herbefore malfunctioningencased in flameswe hurried along


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in a haze of nerve-gashe fell backwards in pure reflexdrifted down the access tubefull of referencesaltered to magni$ra feeling of rightnessabstract patterns shiftinginto jagged vertical tattooswhirling the line through long arcslearning to adjustthe way flames leaptin all that magnificenceinto flashing monochrome imagescreated in his wake

CXI1988 Cambridge 1990

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TOM RAWORTHBorn in London, England, in 1938, Tom Raworth waseducated at St. Joseph's Academy in Blackheath,London. Between leaving school in 1954 and attend-ing the University of Essex in 1967, Raworth under-took several different jobs as an insurance clerk, abuilders'laborer, a packer, assistant transport man-ager, and a continental telephone operator. In 1959he taught himself how to set type and to print books,and between then and 1964 produced a magazine,Outburst, and a series of small books. In I-965, inpartnership with the painter and filmmaker BarryHaIl, he started Goliard Press, working there until1967, when it was taken over by Jonathan Cape.That same year he attended the University ofEssex, where he studied Spanish and took his B.A. inLatin American Literature. He was awarded hisMaster's Degree in the Theory and Practice ofLiterary Translation in 1970.Over the next two years he visited the UnitedStates and Canada several times on reading tours,and from the autumn of t972 until L977 he lived inthe United States (and briefly in Mexico), teaching atBowling Green State University, NortheasternIllinois University, and the University of Texas. Sincethe end of 1977 he has lived with his wife, MargaretValaire Murphy, and their five children inCambridge, England.Raworth's many books of poetry include TheRelation Ship, The Big Green Doy (t968), A SerialBiography (1969 and 1977), Lion Lion and Betrayal(1970), Mouing (L971), Act (1973), Tottering State:Selected Poems, 1963-83 (1984), Lazy Left Hand


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(1986), Visible Shiuers (1987), and Selected Poems1963-87 (1988). He has had pubtications in more thanten countries, and has been awarded the Alice HuntBartlett Pize in 1970 and the Cholmondely Awardin 1971.Close friend to numerous American poets, includ-ing Ted Berrigan and Robert Creeley, Raworth hascontinued to have an influence on both American andBritish poetry through his extensive reading tours.Like his poetry, Raworth's performances are markedby quick and mercurial mental shifts. As ColinMacCabe has written in The Times LiterarySupplement of Raworth's writing: "Raworth's minimalline, with rarely more than four words and littlepunctuation, is crucially important to the process ofunfreezing the frame, of cutting across the certaintiesof eye and larynx. . We continue to read poetrywithin a culture which gives central importance to lit-erary tradition, and to recognizable divisions betweenwriters and readers. Raworth's poetry makes animplicit Utopian demand for a culture without suchdivisions, or such a centre."

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