Selections from æpoetics by Thaddeus Conti (Lavender Ink, 2008)
Thaddeus Conti--poet, artist--has been a vital force in the New Orleans poetry community for more than a decade. His legendary poetic coinages like "shamanibalistic", "antiquasi fornitado" and "catastasis" have become an essential part of the ever-growing lexicon of New Orleans' speak. Conti's visual works have shown in galleries and coffee house throughout New Orleans, and his poems have appeared recently in Mustachioed, Simpatico Poets, and YAWP: a Journal of Poetry & Art. Thaddeus Conti's book-length collection of drawings & poems, aepoetics, was recently released by Lavender Ink in October 2008.
genufake
there were
snails in the last row
of church
when infinity had begun again
as a watch word
with too many
consonants for
anything but scrabble
the many ways to read a word
after untying so many
knots
my mind works just fine
pinball visions
that mar the
tender page
are reluctant attempts
at lemonade
shut up and write a book
one needs to want
too want
duality is symbiosis
intellectuals feed on unshed tears
whereas a dog has the sense to sweat from his
mouth
on the occasion of something resembling a title
art is a residual
of unseen disaster
a wound sufficiently drained of puss
power or bothan infidel may grease the mechanism proper
such as a
mattress dumb
opera
dreaming
poet
impetus
when the acid kicks in
and your teeth turn into grape jell-o
do not bite your lip
you silly fuck