Dread Phalanx ROMAN CANDLES O LATER ON BUST

Dread, Phalanx ROMAN CANDLES O LATER ON BUST SKIES SHOOT OFF UNFERAL OWLS HOOT IN GLOWING NOBLE NESTS NOW TENSE TO GO JULY FOURTH ONE WITH EVERYTHING SHADOW IN GLARES IMAGES IN THE IRREGARDING BAT BRIGHT DARK BLING YOUR OL LEGIRONS HAVENT CEASED EVER HAVE THEY MASTER ROMANA HAVE THEM JUST TINGLES SO THINKING OVER RANTING BLEST ONGUENT O DAYTIME SUN STREAMS OVER A CITY O JANUS FACED MUSA STOP PLAYING WITH FIRE EDOM GOT BURNS ASHES TO ASHES AS TROYS MEN DIED WHAT IS THE MUSE OF FIRE TRUSTIEST ARMOR LUST OF GOLD RED ORANGE OH SOUND JULY JET SAMPLED THATS A CRAP WAY TO FLARE OUT FARTING UNDEFECATED MONTHS WITH NO IDEAS click to mark the letters for decimation

ROMAN CANDLES O LATER ON BUST SKIES SHOOT OFF UNFERAL OWLS HOOT IN GLOWING NOBLE NESTS NOW TENSE TO GO JULY FOURTH ONE WITH EVERYTHING SHADOW IN GLARES IMAGES IN THE IRREGARDING BAT BRIGHT DARK BLING YOUR OL LEGIRONS HAVENT CEASED EVER HAVE THEY MASTER ROMANA HAVE THEM JUST TINGLES SO THINKING OVER RANTING BLEST ONGUENT O DAYTIME SUN STREAMS OVER A CITY O JANUS FACED MUSA STOP PLAYING WITH FIRE EDOM GOT BURNS ASHES TO ASHES AS TROYS MEN DIED WHAT IS THE MUSE OF FIRE TRUSTIEST ARMOR LUST OF GOLD RED ORANGE OH SOUND JULY JET SAMPLED THATS A CRAP WAY TO FLARE OUT FARTING UNDEFECATED MONTHS WITH NO IDEAS click to literally decimate the poem

ROMAN CAND ES O LATER O BUST SKIES HOOT OFF UN ERAL OWLS H OT IN GLOW I G NOBLE NES S NOW TENSE O GO JULY FO RTH ONE WIT EVERY THIN SHADOW IN G ARES IMAGE IN THE IRRE ARDING BAT RIGHT DARK LING BLING OUR OL LEGI ONS HAVENT EASED EVER AVE THEY MA TER ROMANA AVE THEM JU T TINGLES S THINKING O ER RANTING LEST ONGUE T O DAYTIME UN STREAMS VER A CITY O ANUS FACED USA STOP PL YING WITH F RE EDOM GOT URNS ASHES O ASHES AS T OYS MEN DIE WHAT IS THE USE OF FIRE RUSTIEST A MOR LUST OF OLD RED ORA GE OH SOUND ULY JET SAM LED THATS A RAP WAY TO F ARE OUT FAR ING UNDEFE ATED MONTH WITH NO IDE S click to reorder the ranks

ROMAN CAN DES OLATE R O BUST SKIES HOOT OF F UNERAL OWLS H OT IN GLOW IG NOBLENESS NOW TENSE O GO JULY FORTH ONE WIT EVERY THIN SHADOW ING ARES IMAGE IN THEIR REAR DINGBAT RIGHT DARK LING BLING OUR OL LEGIONS HAVENT EASED EVER AVE THEY MATER ROMANA AVE THEM JUT TING LESS THINKING O ER RANT ING LES TONGUE T ODAY TIME UNSTREAMS VER A CITY O ANUS FACED USA STOP PLYING WITH FRE EDOM GOT URNS ASHES O ASHES AS TOYS MEN DIE WHAT IS THE USE OF FIRE RUSTIEST AMOR LUST OF OLD RED O RAGE OH SO UNDULY JETSAM LED THATS A RAP WAY TO FARE OUT FARING UNDEFEATED MONTH WITH NO IDES click to bring them to attention

Decimation, Tenth Legion ROMAN CAN DESOLATE ROBUST SKIES HOOT OF F UNERAL OWLS HOT IN GLOW IGNOBLENESS NOW TENSE O GO JULY FORTH ONE WIT EVERY THIN SHADOWING ARES IMAGE IN THEIR REAR DINGBAT RIGHT DARKLING BLING OUR OL LEGIONS HAVENT EASED EVER AVE THEY MATER ROMANA AVE THEM JUTTING LESS THINKING O ERRANT ING LES TONGUE TODAY TIME UNSTREAMS VERA CITY O ANUS FACED USA STOP PLYING WITH FREEDOM GOT URNS ASHES O ASHES AS TOYS MEN DIE WHAT IS THE USE OF FIRE RUSTIEST AMOR LUST OF OLD RED O RAGE OH SO UNDULY JETSAM LED THATS A RAP WAY TO FARE OUT FARING UNDEFEATED MONTH WITH NO IDES end poems

What Was That? click for artist’s statement

This two-poem sequence began with rival fascinations: the lore of the punishment Roman legions received for cowardice and my own curiosity surrounding what would happen were this imperative to be applied to a piece of text. Ancient Roman texts did not use spaces between words. conventions of word spacing as we know them arrived because expediency required clearer boundaries, minimizing the inevitable misapprehensions between words, between a version and aversion, for example. “Dread, Phalanx” and “Decimation, Tenth Legion” are poems concerned with image, disappearance, and consequences. If the poems have a setting — beyond type — I imagine it as contemporary (wartime) America. [end]