I’ve had a box of phrases and words cut out from discarded books for a while and I’d been thinking about the idea of doing some snippets…this week I spent a couple of days working on a group of them.

I’ve written a lot about snippets in the past so I won’t rehash things. If you are interested just search under the term Snippets her on the blog and you’ll find lots of material. Otherwise, I think if you read along you will soon get the idea.

I’ll show you the scanned pages of what I did in these sessions (later I will digitally cut the scans apart so that each snippet image is solo, for later posting). And then I’ll give you the typed out versions of a few of my favorites. If you wonder about the numbers, I give each snippet a number because I keep a list of them.

Also – at the end of the session, there are some tantalizing phrases or words that didn’t get used. Sometimes I make a speed collage poem with them – just put the words together quick as they fall and see what develops. it can be surprising.

I did such a thing in this session as well, and I have included it for you to see.

Here are snippet images:

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• 

• 

346.
husbands and wives had married
to be together and
Now, surprised at occupying prolonged silence,
argue in the manufacture of something to say
4/7/21

347.
It had
the sallow sparkle
of a vague headache
4/7/21

349.
And she stared at me,
a remnant of a recognition
fallen out of the past
4/7/21

351.
I wonder if that was
one of the rose bushes
dressing up as a potato.
4/7/21

352.
a single bird
owned by
nobody
4/7/21

353.
pinch the ceiling
hard
said the voice in the upstairs apartment
4/7/21

354.
should the kitchen become hotter,
I’m sure I’ll be
visible in the smoke
4/7/21

356.
as it turned out
They became
another sort of unhappy
4/7/21

358.
the house said,
you’re in luck.
I have windows
4/7/21

And here is the collage poem.

the eye to see

the eye
to see in darkness
the thread in the glass
The idea frequently told
compared
the other way a lottery
the portrait in a room that pleased
you hear your name
wait for me
remember so clearly passing
the pinch of hope
the orchestra heard
The tearing sound of the old to drop away
the pattern
no longer alone
Yes. The only thing
the hand that held the thread

collage poem
4/6/21