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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Ecopoetics Postcard: Cara Benson: “it’s high time...”

writing is two things simultaneously. writing is itself. writing is, well, then, writing. so in writing itself the writing issued a statement. this statement. it is said, anyway. the said saying so. so that it has been said, but not yet because it isn’t always that the simultaneity is concurrent with the spontaneity of utterance. not all utterance is written. nor, vice versa. in other words, what is said is not always written, and what is written not spoken. is it thought? if it is thought, as verb and noun, is that heard? if a word is uttered in a mind and there is no hand clapping for the tree that was felled, what were woods? how does thought precede word? precede wood? does a tree clap when people fall? what are those flapping leaves but an audience? if the audience does not clap, did you bomb? if so, are your words missiles? is this praxis or pragmatics?

if the word is the beginning, the begging is brought empty handed. how can you clap with your hands full of prayers? if you are holding hands with other hands, who will clap? were you listening? or thinking yourself? who can listen, write, think, speak, clap, or enact manifest presence (an epitaph) so simply spoken situationally? that said, it’s time for breakfast. they flew my eggs in from utah.


This postcard forms part of the forthcoming feature on Ecopoetics in the next issue of HOW2.

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