Beach Sloth

Bone Smoke by Scott Krave

               Common cities are the result of a massive homogenization of culture. Everything looks the same everywhere. Thank the internet. What is unique is tweaked further and further towards an internationally recognized standard. Adherence to this standard explains the widespread popularity of Animal Collective’s colorful whimsy. Bust out the fedoras and strike up the band. 

                Baltimore tends to show up in nightmares. The Wire is responsible for that. Canadian bacon is a good side dish for trash talk. Succumb to cold pizza. Pizza wants to be loved the most when it is out in the cold. Refuse the microwave. Take matters into your own hands and stomach it. Benches in Baltimore states ‘America’s Greatest City’. America needs to get higher standards. 

                Zoos are strange places. Why categorize animals in itty bitty cages? Let them roam free. If they like us they can approach us. Animals like us but they can do fine on their own. Just because we live in strictly defined space doesn’t mean animals enjoy it either. Cities are great for people. Animals let them create their own spaces. They’ve been doing it longer than we have. Look at the turtle. It is completely indifferent to us since it knows it’ll live for centuries. Look at the turtle’s eyes. It has seen so much and remains indifferent. Turtles invented apathy. 

                Speech and debate is an important part of life. Found your speech and debate team. Pick something you hate and defend it. That’s tough. It isn’t about agreement with speech and debate. Arguments should not be passionate. The best arguments I’ve ever seen were not based off of emotional responses. Divorce yourself from emotions when arguing a point. Wish I knew this before I founded the club. Still I think I’m on a plague in the rec room of a university that was fairly indifferent to my existence. Pizza Tuesdays were my idea. You’re welcome rec room inhabitants. 

                Is slam poetry the combination of poetry and wrestling? I think so. This is why Scott fears it. Of course it would make one quiver. Poets in general are not known for imposing physiques. However the insults are quite fantastic. Most of these poetry slams are nothing more than talk, no action. Someday I hope to see poets un-metaphorically ‘messing each other up’. Until then poets will shy away from the physical word. 

                Like this chapbook. It is forceful. Prepare yourself.