the buffalo concussion

(departures/ronceverte/charleston/dc)
i remember
the first day at naropa
sitting on the front steps
silent
surrounded by other silent
people
until jared hayes
said the first word
and soon
our small crowd
dissected
a path
that snuck down
towards the water's edge
the fringe of the fringe
and continued to hold that space
until there were continents
between us

i remember that
andy peterson didn't show up
until later that night
and he sounded familiar
with panic
when he announced to an
auditorium of words
that he had driven from Arizona
with no idea
where he would sleep that night

i remember
how the bouncers
at the dark horse
thought my id was fake
because they had never
actually seen someone
from west virginia
for the rest of the summer
they called me "westie"
and made wisecracks about
my dreadlocks
and our general attendance
at naropa

i remember
going there for karaoke
flabbergasted
when joe coooper
belted out bob dylan
and his impediments
sulked toward the door
defeated
while the audience
picked their chins
up from the floor

i remember
knowing instantly
that these people
would be some
of the most important
friends i would ever know

(arrival/bufffalo)
strange transcendences after playing mental reels over again for four years. a friend from undergraduate picks me up at the airport. i call cooper and get directions. at joe's house he says, "this is your friend!?" and they recognize each other right away.

blizzard provisions
goons and
carry onwards
niagara
and now?
preparations
interruption
meeting
speaking
preparations

do you want to keep rushing towards this wall?
i just started talking

i tend to have party narcolepsy
if i'm not careful about my posture

what does it mean to go
straight at it?
to try not to have an agenda is an agenda

when is it that i surrender
to the material?
interested in interruption
aren't we supposed to be innovative?
is interruption a structure?
so much text
just start hearing things
how much can you put up with?

reflection diagnoses
the momentary spasms
welcome back
ceiling fan
snick
death
hair
cut or not
sorry is the subject
a blind dog shits in living room
upon guests entering
the questions persists

At What Point Do the Authors Take Control?

Jared Hayes tagged andrew peterson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged andrew peterson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged andrew peterson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged andrew peterson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged you in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged andrew peterson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Cara Benson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged jennifer karmin in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged jennifer karmin in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Cara Benson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Cara Benson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged jennifer karmin in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged you in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged you in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Cara Benson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged jennifer karmin in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Cara Benson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Cara Benson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged jennifer karmin in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged jennifer karmin in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged annie weiner in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged annie weiner in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged annie weiner in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged jennifer karmin in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Cara Benson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged annie weiner in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged jennifer karmin in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Cara Benson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged jennifer karmin in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Cara Benson in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged jennifer karmin in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged you in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged Joseph Cooper in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged himself in one of your photos. Jared Hayes tagged you in one of your photos.

and another night sets away
head still bent tender
beneath glittery ceiling
like a dream
that can only be explained
by a stack of
smuggled books