If One Thing Must Be Forgotten: A Poem of Taransky and Pettit

[Over today, yesterday, and yesterday yesterday the WOLF has featured the complicated and campy collaborators behind the Whenever We Feel Like It reading series, Emily Pettit and Michelle Taransky. Yesterday yesterday, began with Emily. Yesterday, Michelle. Today, Michellily/Emichelle.

Many grand thanks and bravos to they the poets, and you, the reader.]




AIRPLANE AIRPLANE


In the interest of the historian
we are collecting small
interactions in the same
shape as that tornado that
knocked you down.
You may call it like you
see it, dear,

you may call it

a mess.

*

We insist on this
being the way we see
this having no
window, this having
a window
(we have a window)(now).

*

A little later...
(we have no window)
(like)(when we had to scream
later). The days were piled
in alphabetical order
there,

(now) there is no order.

*

Now, we are ordered
to define what we mean
by "business"

we say

"We are not taking orders."

*

We would like to now
mention that we are
interested in doors.

As we are interested
in windows when the wind
will break them.

*

If one thing must be
forgotten

it is that there is no
way that only one
thing will be forgotten.

*

This might mean landing

this land may mean
arrival or a painting
you locked in the wall.

This does not necessarily
mean landing.

*

Where are you now?
Is anyone calling?

What do you make of
the door nearest you?

Airplane and you.

*

Using the door to leave

the last sentence

in the frame
as the frame

the airplane was
built from it

and so was our business.

*

Build a place
from this business.

We like to say,

Airplane
Airplane.