What Would Be Up
This week in the PEN Poetry Series, guest editor TC Tolbert features a poem by Samuel Ace. Listen to a multimedia recording of the poem, “What Would Be Up,” as well as two other multimedia recordings—”Private Prisons” and “Tell Me What You Know“—on PEN America’s Soundcloud page. About Ace’s work, Tolbert writes: “Listening to Samuel Ace’s poems I think I know how kites feel on a good day – gorgeous – both lifted and, in the midst of struggle, still. I could be here all day and, with his work, I often am – falling in love with the air and how it can live inside a body. And when I use the word gorgeous I mean to point toward its etymological reference: beauty adorning the throat.”
What would be up
November 23rd 4:51:33 pm
What would be up should the talk to
who to let? let me always be
embarrassed calling you back to look
at the boys the who the I (the guy) I
thought I was retouched like a
billboard or kink but you crossed the
line into bearded disappearance you
know that I would serve the club
mortal or corrupt
Some big clothing headlights
breathing down my neck some
really big sale what would be up
with you? let me always be
embarrassed look at me the who
the I (the guy) I thought you
were retouched (to settle the
beard)
What would
be up
with you
should
the talk
to who
to let
to always
be embarrassed
calling you
back
look at you
the boys
the who
The I
the guy
retouched
like a billboard
or some kink
you crossed
the line
into bearded
disappearance
you know
that I would
serve the club
mortal and
corrupt
Headlights (the brand)
I’m embarrassed
to let you see
I bought out
the shirt
department
the bowel then
the trippy dress
(grinning) then
the shoulders
stooped then
the wait
look at me
Headlights
breathing
down my
neck some
big clothing
some real big
sacks come
on sale
let me always
be embarrassed
look at me
the who
the I
the guy
I thought you
were retouched What you
to settle and the
the beard boys the
we sit outside who and
the mortal the guy
corridor the one
big dick
in the room
who disappeared
my crinoline
my one finery
the one
shoulder
the one
creature
embarrassed
bearded
crumbs
the baby
fugues
of hey
I’m here
the guy
the head-
light breath
hey I’m fixin’
to cross
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*The text version of “Private Prisons” is forthcoming in Best American Experimental Writing 2016