SLAM

Slam

A girl read a poem out loud
in my office this morning.

Say “woman” if you prefer.

I was thinking while the young
lady read it (see: not even listening
proper but thinking what am
I going to say about this) but
looking like listening: have to.

Thank god, a word popped
up from graduate school:

NONDISCURSIVE

I had asked her what her poetry
teacher had to say about it, and
he had trouble with the mix of
images supposedly about insanity
but lots of talk of chocolate and
caramel and sweets he didn’t think
appropriate to the subject matter
and setting: a sanitarium--oh,
a cognitive dissonance call it.

(You knew “sane” means
“clean” & sanitary if not
sober and “insane” means
“dirty”: hence “sanitarium.”)

And so he’s using his discursive
discourse standards to assess &
evaluate & critique & comment
on what was

NONDISCURSIVE.

Might as well rationalize a dream.
Might as well explain an emotional
outburst. Might as well grade a
picture. Digitalize an analogue.
Reduce an immaculate conception
to merely knocked up.
.
Ok Ok we all do it.
These things.

Let me tell
you what’s wrong
with your righting.
What’s good.
What works
and why.

Write this down

(Do you do slam open mic
I asked. No, she said. Never.)