.
a man marries dear to himself
the agent of a bad habit
pattern after pattern light
safe and solid else when
the rift is a sorry
ora et labora
let me at least restate my whereabouts
the geography of skin and bones
light oozes through and connects
its wave to particle nature
desire to salvation/ fear to banishment
warp holes declare I intend to spend
every bit of earned capital
the labor theory allows for that
Mondrian curious over a canvas at 90
but in life we say as we cannot and resume
vaccinated against the self reliant
wedge by wedge self assured
avoiding the simple minded
stretch of an alternative
until light takes it away
touches to partner or
incorporate space
imagine mother being written up for
wound is a river of judgment logging
faith and frivolity seeking race
outside an economy lost to the acts of God
I watch folds and colors except when I don’t
remember to or can’t speak
turning to shapes heaving to
decipher inheritance records
then as when one must decide
between the past and the future
point to it I say
they have punctured me
all hope within a stone I cannot create
reclining to accept the magic
poured into a container of no change
I state you well
choose to be chosen
prescribe as it described faded
the damaged mind the pilgrimage
pay attention and pay for
beginnings and wilderness
body against body thinking away
my place crossing yours
the tear in each other’s eye
perhaps a tree has shape but no form
possibility creates a first man
never the lesser
life revolves value no ought
nor price the absence of your voice
while I turn towards my people
do you see me running for persona
to reconstruct currencies of cultural capital?
do lunch save dessert wait for coffee
speaks to me drag time
you seek the straight in the curve
whole body movements allow
where will you be after gym?
tired and heart heavy I float
bless me father is better than chasing
the shadow of a shiny example
blessed are those who dipped
for empire to nation status
- sordun? - sordum
the young Mudros
Mudanya thereafter
the elections
faith stood in the way of an unintended past
put-together parts of me impaled content
the suasive impales communication
renders compulsory as when we
conferred to figure by way of condition
unearthing clouded matter
in which we blind patterns
the process continues
the result
loose change
rediscovered
plot me says spin control
crossing causing contention
as in contusion/ intention
I want so much to be where I was then you say
that was when you were wishing other
than what can be wished
kaden kaden in your face
not knowing you’re next
where faith and money come from
a function of my components
as I have no ana dil
gozen doyse/ ayde
I am now endlessly theorizing
by the time you locate me I shall be gone
as I do not exist outside your capture
memory feeds a hydraulic limb
fact to symbol gyrates
do we need an interface here?
your simulation creates patterns
I am unable to transmit
pieces of human that I am
software software
please
if a prosthetic head willed me
will it be able to will an other?
data weigh me down
which key should I remember?
do not question
send me reminders
do they depend on theme?
help flare ownership
the absence of thinking God is tidal perhaps
a newer role for the crush and mud thereafter
that may be willed in the future
the unsure in me open to ripped concepts
trenched above and beneath the essentials
like moon verb smile wind
sound a train abandons
no not that
touch this heart perk
this essential
___________________
Arpine Konyalian Grenier holds graduate degrees from the American University of Beirut and the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts, Bard College, New York. Her work has appeared in How2, Columbia Poetry Review, Sulfur, The Iowa Review, Phoebe, Fence, Verse, Big Bridge and elsewhere, including several anthologies. She has repeatedly been chosen as finalist for the National Poetry Series and the Greg Grummer Award Competitions, has authored two volumes of poetry, and a chapbook is forthcoming from NeOpp Pepper Press.
