The Alan Sondheim Mail Archive

flight song

  /  /        :         <   >
  /  /        :         <   >
  /  /        :               ,   ,     .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    ca caul ul .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    ch chor orus us.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    dd ddda danc nce.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    de deat athf hfug ugue ue.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    en endo dofe femp mpir ire.
  /  /        :                   ,    eu euro rope pe    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    fr frie ieze ze.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    ju jump mpin in.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    ju jump mpin inn.
  /  /        :                   ,    k.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    la lake ke.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    la lake ketu tube be.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    la lake ketu tube be .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    la last stem empi pire re.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    mi miam ami  .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    mu murm rmer er.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    oc ocea ean.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    ru ruin ined ed.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    se seam amou ount nt .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    se seam amou ount nt .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    se seam amou ount nt .
  /  /        :                   ,    tr tra.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wo woma man s.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wo woma mans ns.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    xz xzai ais.
  /  /        :               ,   ,     nd ndla last st.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    bu buff ffal alo .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    bu butt tter erfl fly.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    bu butt tter erfl fly .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    bu butt tter erfl fly .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    bu butt tter erfl fly .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    bu butt tter erfl fly .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    bu butt tter erfl fly .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    bu butt tter erfl fly .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    bu butt tter erfl fly .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    ka kanj njis is.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    ma mamu mu.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    pr prep epar are.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    sc scan an.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    se seam amou ount nt.
  /  /        :               ,   ,    se seam amou ount nt .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    se seam amou ount nt .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa walk lk    .
  /  /        :               ,   ,    wa wate ter   .
  /  /        :         <   >
  /  /        :         <   >

sonnet in the modern manner

my mother appears. she's thirty, we're talking she tells me my father is
going to have chemotherapy 'as a preventive measure.' i say this is non-
sense, there's nothing wrong with him, he's 90, he doesn't need anything,
it's too crippling. we're arguing like crazy, i'm crying. he's right
behind you, she says, i turn, he's napping lightly on the couch. i'm
almost hysterical now. it worked for me, she says. she's dead, the phone
rings. the homeopathic chinese herbs for the cat will cost forty cents per
pill, eighty cents a day. i don't believe in homeopathy. i've got enough
trouble. there are nazis after me, mutilated bodies. as jesus christ, i
would give my right hand to save all of mankind. i would give my right
hand as well and my other limbs. i would permit photography of the BLOODY
STUMP. as jesus christ i would absolutely do this. letters may be trans-
posed, substituted, enumerated, shifted, markov-chained, filtered, written
or rewritten according to any function. finite differences welcomed.

_

dead c. for mel g.


i

i'm a jew says jesus, you're not. i'm a jew, i'm a jew, i'm a jew.

ii

christians throw a good ceremony.

iii

i'm the blood of the lamb, says jesus. look, i can suck my own blood.
i can suck my own skin. stop spitting.
christianity is a real mess, jesus says.

iv

a christian, says jesus, would never touch me with her face.
the jews are all over me.
a christian, says jesus, would never touch me with her arms.
the jews are all over me but a christian would cradle me.
a christian, says jesus, would never touch me with her lips.
sometimes the jews bump me in a crowd because i'm a jew.
us jews are always in crowds. we stand on ceremony, jesus says.
christians know how to part for company, jews the red sea.
jews the dead sea, but a christian, says jesus, would never bump.
noisy yes, but never bump, jesus says.


_