Basal Distance
by Ann Bogle
if it didn t have periods and commas it d be a poem about apostrophes and question marks about scenery do you have scenery a winter ride to the lebanese psychiatrist the reason to go to the psychiatrist is so men and women won t have to but tell them about it later so they can benefit from it i said my anxiety on tuesdays is revolting it used to be workshop day i used to like LIKE workshop day but ten years without workshop comma tuesdays eat me what is causing your reaction he asked war i said he said are you like the rest of us and you disagree with war yes i said i disagree with war and he said only one man agrees with war but he won t go to the war then he told me try meditation and i said it s not enough you must have a teacher for meditation on tuesdays an elevator is going up and down inside my body s frame not quote unquote mental an elevator is going up and down inside my body s frame not italics mental italics basal dash basal than mental double dash basal distress better than quote unquote mental illness in reject that label we experience it for them or driving in a winter glass to the doctor at eight early tend the gist you are seeking and save them red tape paperwork and general satisfaction of given treatment call it basal distance or basal distress not mental illness i heard the african american woman psychologist say her wards are mentally sick are white sick ones her black patients hurts typical i said raising my hand basal distance question mark might it be long before mental illness basal distance fills it next question mark
Oh, lovely. I'm thinking of Molly Bloom and those stories by Paul Bowles that employ this technique. You did them much, much justice.
yes.
this is wonderful. i prefer the shorter, breathless version. your velvety, vulnerable voice is great, too. i am reminded of readings by ernst jandl.
Such a great form for this - the language carries the breath along. Wonderful writing.
Katrina, Gary, Finnegan, and Sam, thanks for reading and hearing this and commenting. Finnegan, I see Jandl was a dadaist, sound poet. I set out for sound poetry early. It's a different sport than short story.
I enjoy this a whole lot, and I enjoy listening to your reading of it. Very nice. Sound poetry certainly is a different sport. Thank you.
The no punctuation thing is so hard to do well and you've done it so well. Wonderful!
Thanks, Sally, that's a lovely comment.
The pain communicated without use of emotion words and the image of the elevator going up and down in the body are excruciating in their depth within the limitations of language. Remarkable. Fave*
Gloria, thanks so much for your comment. I'll try to embed a code in the space above that (with luck) will lead to my recording of "Basal Distance" also at Ana Verse: http://annbogle.blogspot.com.