Progress

by Barrett Watten

1985, trade paperback edition, Roof Books, NY, 120 pages. Poetry.

Genres: Poetry

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[M.W.P.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relax,

stand at attention, and.

Purple snake stands out on

Porcelain tiles. The idea

Is the thing. Skewed by design . . . .

*

One way contradictory use is to

Specific empty.

Basis, its

Cover operates under insist on,

Delineate. Stalin as a linguist . . . .

*

I trust replication.

Gives,

Surface. Lights string

The court reporter, distances.

That only depth is perfect . . . .

*

Comes to the history of words.

The thought to eradicate

In him. The poetry,

by

Making him think certain ways . . . .

*

White, to each of these cancels

Shadow,

fog. Collapse self,

And invading enemy wins.

The argument itself, disassembling . . . .

*

Objection. Of essence is the

Time falls apart in his hands.

Hatred, under the engine,

Of daily events.

I trust wheat . . . .

*

And doubt it, to control by dis-

Orientation.

Eisenhower

Did not come to power.

Terms for the period, state . . . .

*

Figure. State is severed from

States of affairs? You

Speak for themselves,

Materials,

the voice comes out . . . .

*

Only I trust the materials. The

Offspring are in relation

By chain of command to

Inculcate extremes.

Uttermost . . . .

*

Oxymoronic logic in his fears,

Such.

Canned corn, peas.

Fixation on these things

Leads only to isolate a few . . . .


. . .