Thursday, March 13, 2008

Antique Inscriptions (ca. 1880-1985)

Self-contained,
Unnetworked.
Functions observable.
No mystery.

Tapping, hunting--for words, keys.
Paper in view, moving through the works.
From empty to full.

Ribbons inside.
You could see them.
Red ink; black ink; white out; tired out.

Writers hunched, punching keys
on popping machines.
No mouse, no cord.

Inscription, prescription
from finger to striker to page.
Noncomputerized.

No screen, no gleam, no glitter.
No temptation to click out
to elsewhere on line.

One task, one keyboard, one mind.
No code, rich load.
Keys stick, paper smudges.

Text read,
Literary dread.
Typed page crumpled and
Thrown across the room.

More paper; more pounding,
sticking, smudging.

Off line. Right on. Write out.

The typewriter.

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