a.j. carruthers
a.j. carruthers is a contemporary experimental poet and scholar. He is the author of AXIS, a lifelong long poem, the first volume of which, Book 1: Areal, was released by Vagabond in 2014. He is also the author of The Tulip Beds: A Toneme Suite (Vagabond 2013) and two forthcoming books, Opus 16 on Tehching Hsieh and Stave Sightings: Notational Experiments in North American Long Poems, 1961-2011. carruthers edits SOd press and is Essays Editor for Rabbit Poetry Journal.
AXIS 47: Cage
_________________________________________________________
A choral re:rhythming of John Cage’s Lecture on Nothing
retaining the four original registers.
For performance by 2-5 voices.
am
any moment
a push
Give any cussion
and the get evert you cide
and that is
go on called
and there is
, ; . .
composed
course, as I earth
go along
corn glass empty
As we
an i–dea glass empty
glass
Arizona especially
gard it as
Anything
as gone;
an
at any
? , . ,
calling anybody
a–bout
Continuity
enables conti–
am calling
enjoy climax; and the
acts
ecstasy content.
each. airplane
Each comes from accepts
can as sugar
carry A piece
, , , .
and
in–
contained
approximately
can say
about this,
each unit a space
are
continuity a
and last
At
acceptable
As you see,
, , . .
accept
allowed me
as ginning
ask you:
eminent
along end
ac–cepted
absolute
conference
A pupil enjoy it
accident girls’ calendar
e-nough com-pare
about structure
America’s college
going
and I
and that part craze
ex-claim
are cardinal
an arts critic
? , . .
go
clear
attention ginning
any
certain.
course will
about structure
chooses. a means
experiencing
compose And
crops and
a get
con-cerned
about material
ever
Clearly as we
calls all I
calls
, – .” .)
could
Grieg,
child
characteristic
especially
ever call it
explains
autobiographically
exercise answer
and minor
As
a time
and
a-bout
admired in
,— ? . .
ear off
always,
all,
every now
and ear
abstraction
alone
gressions a
everyone actually
ear
ear gressions all its
ear clean slate and that
and
garde.”
cadences. ap-peal
ear “avant-
ear could hear
cided actually
After
Avoiding
called
go contemporary ,
a-bout
: ; ,” ,
arm Coca-Cola
against ghost
and new.
and criminated
a-long
as
attached to the
ghost
audible even more
are else is
a story:
American,
came
amazing
at least
are ever found
as the
a man
amplified.
; , .” .
cussion a
asked: elevation.
getting enjoying
answer either
company answers
cool air absurd
course, goes on
animal enjoying
could
asked
are,
answers
animal
answers
Another
agree
? ,” : :
are
after the
getting
and slowly
are
am
are
are
getting
as
a
continue are
and
(and then
getting
and
again
anybody
are
as getting
and
a
, , ). .
and
getting
continue (and
getting
are
getting
anybody
continue
go a
after
goes a
am
getting
again
, , ). .
are
are
after
are having
getting
a little
and getting
are getting continue
as the
and getting
a pleasure getting
are
and
(and then
again
anybody
at
as
, , ). .
and more
continue
am
continue
are now eleventh
a
and getting
am
as getting
else.
and getting
(and then
getting
again
anybody eleventh
at
as
as the goes
and
(and then
, , ). .
continue anybody
else. and goes
anybody
are now
go
a
after the
again
getting
at
as the goes
and
getting
are
as the talk
a
go
and
(and then
? , : .”
A structure
go
eighty-eight a method;
control a
enough
each a
corn
everybody
a bridge
? . ,— .)
Anyone
a
any piece collections
are case
A thing even
and Chinese
And
automatically
a long
and Capitalists
at least called
a thing. can
Communists.)
, .
clear
A
and someone
and
a process Everybody
are
at all
All I know
about
am working,
am