The Red Book
By Reid Baer

I’m unable to keep pace with my own terms or
thoughts flying ahead instead of staying behind

this perturbed brain easily enough I lose sight
of such fleeting symbols that could spell out – yes - by

this hand! I’d rather be ripping off another
man’s well expressed work than go insane over words

too difficult to pursue so I steal them like
a pilfered coin from a purse what with the gold there

is ain’t his anyway. I’ll lie consciously in
an awkward moment declaring myself as is

to impress a fellow traveler by moving these
letters around restlessly running here and there -

‘tis only my ill gotten gains against my will -
I pull everything down and hastily rebuild.


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