although earthworms Matt Margo
although earthworms
Matt Margo
© 2013 Matt Margo
All rights reserved.
Front cover art: “I do not doubt your enthusiasm” © 2013 Jim Wittenberg
Back cover art: “hovering about in the imagined place” © 2013 Jim Wittenberg http://offbeatjim56.wordpress.com
An excerpt from this book was originally published online as the poem “Password” at Unsure if I will allow my beard to grow for much longer.
Will the light bulbs survive? Will the candy bars survive? Will the white noise of words survive a war declared on signs? — Make Believe, “We’re All Going to Die”
ALTHOUGH earthworms→always ETHEREAL→NEVER seasonal→primordial breakdown→pleasingly
CRACKUP→PREHISTORIC PALE→INCOMPARABLY
diluted→whitening
errant→blackjack
BREATH→ARCTIC
QUADRANGLES→LYING quark→cosmic duckpond→warden’s
SPORTSWOMAN→INTEROCULAR MARKET→FROGMAN’S textured→antelopes
ballad→buzz
DEBUGGED→TRACHEA
INTERCEPTING→VIKINGS
moderating→sociological
FEATS→GOODTEMPERED stockholders→downtrodden UPRISE→UPHILL downfall→artiste’s
EPOCH→COMEDIENNE’S
POSTLUDE→TORTURED ids→widen
WETTED→SMALLTIME
RIGHTER→TOPSOIL bassist→delusional
tedium→pedagogic
doorbell→penthouse DOUBLOON→SNIGGERING
era→droning PUTTY→REMITTED dovecote→paperback
DISCIPLE→RIGHTFUL ventilator→slouching
REVERBERATOR→FEEBLE
neckbands→wasteful
GLORIES→INCOVENIENT intensity→choreographic CHECKOUT→ETHNIC ethics→zenithal ZEPHYRS→PIPE dreams→closed CASKETS→WHENEVER clever→however
HEARTLESS→INNARDS
STREAMLINED→HER
ghost→too
imprinted→streetlamps
NEARBY→SO
EVERYWHERE→DISPLACEMENT REWRITTEN→LACUNA lexicon→dyslexic
chintz→soldierly
rampant→rampage SOAKER→SUPPLEMENTED
DRAGONFLY→EVICTED
VENGEANCE→VIVACIOUSLY SOLIPSISM→CHAPERONING varieties→sweetbread
faraway→sawdust
escorts→irrealist recumbent→summertime
teabags→teetering
CORONARIES→COUNTED
WITHIN→LAMPPOST clots→computably
CALCIFIED→STEALTHIER stipends→immunologically PURCHASED→SIT sickly→unto
URBANITY→RETREATING
further→furthermost
REMOTENESS→VAST topography→spread ACROSS→FEET apart→boarding BUILDING→SOUTHWESTERN BILLIARDS→WISCONSIN line→physical
histones→evergreen
SIZE→LIVING
curriculum→all
household→morning VESSELS→LIVE
outside→confined
ORIGINAL→SECONDHAND
SCHOOL→FINEST students→seventh
TERMINUS→BEHEADED river→later STRAIT→VILLAGE evidence→royal FEATURES→ALMELO age→mail
territories→between
PRODUCT→INFLUENTIAL
PERFORMERS→MEASURING passengers→another
areas→unmet
RATION→CONCERNED
COMMONS→UNIFIED firefighters→work MEMBERS→MERGED bridge→realistic
REGIMENT→VISIBLE influence→market MINIMUM→ALSO stabbed→every BIRTH→MADE obscure→available SPACE→INTENSE release→elimination WITHHELD→WEDNESDAY guard→standard SCREWDRIVER→PASSWORD
confirmed→access
DENIED→DISHES
DROVES→TEARGAS
tyranny→callous
flash→machine
declined→drowsed
KINGDOM→MOTORCYCLE
MUSIC→MONSTROUS
symphonies→raging
CONCERTGOERS→OUTBURSTS
engraved→encased
BOOKWORMS→INTELLECTUAL
entrapment→entropic
INDETERMINACY→CAGED
animals→new
BREEDS→BEING
IMPRESSIONS→UNPARALLELED
unchained→unchanged
WORKING→PROGRESS hellos→disquieted
unfolding→outdoing CREASES→LADEN
BRAINCELLS→WOODEN
blueprints→bluefin
stylists→artists
OTHERS→HURT lummoxes→woolen
BEAUTIES→SUNBATHED
surfaces→scorching
SCRATCHINESS→WHIRLING
wheelies→winding
DOWN→FARTHER
now→deeper
ancient→watermen
SUNKEN→INKWELLS
INTO→ORIGINS
ascribed→invoices
INVEIGHED→THROMBOCYTOPENIA
pending→pensive
POLLUTANT→TROMBONE rhinoceros→writhing REFLEXES→STARVING extremists→triturating
TRIBULATIONS→TUGBOAT
HORSEFLESH→HOGWASH superhighway→getting skies→blanketing
tsunami→supreme
GONE→WAY
landscapes→snowcapped
of→earthly
UP→UNDERNEATH
vendettas→pulchritudinous
CONSTRUCTS→COMPELLING
VESUVIUS→ENVISIONED
DREAMSCAPES→DRIVING
portraits→imaginary interludes→intertwined
PREPARATIONS→PUNCHBOWL PRIMITIVITY→INESCAPABLE BREAKTHROUGH→HEARTBROKEN IMPLIED→EVERYDAY
SERENDIPITY→SERENE
lost→lit
ANKLES→PANCREATIC
PANGAEA→REUNION
phantasies→starstruck
animus→annulled
toxicity→awakened crucifixion→biophysical goodbyes→goodwill AKIMBO→SKYJACKERS
dive→die HARDEST→HARDTACK stiffens→somewhere SILENT→NOVELS annotated→occupying
UNDERBELLIES→CRUSADED
SURFACES→MADDENING candles→workweek
circuses→somber
crutches→clutching
CALENDARS→BURNING
NIGHTSPOTS→LOUDMOUTHED
ladders→jaundiced
BREADWINNERS→STARTING point→finishing LINE→LEFT alive→dead INSIDE→OUTSIDE expectations→greater THAN→ANY homeland→household MERCHANT→WIZARDLY pacifier→passive
wordsmith→inconclusive
CAVALIER→SHARPENED
ERASURE→AMPLE
at→all
ENDS→WELL
water→gaping MOUTHS→RECALLING remnants→ruins REBORN→GLYPHS deciphered→tongues PERILS→AILMENTS
UNKNOTTED→DETAILS alphabetized→dismembered
abound→ammunition DEPRAVITY→WHEELHOUSE
SHOPS→SHOTS tumblers→blogging
equalling→paltry MASSES→MALICE fired→dazzling GIANTS→SMOKING
tantrums→fever
DREAM→DEFROSTED
dumbfounding→noontime
TWITCHING→TARSALS
aching→metatarsals
CRACKING→KNUCKLEDUSTERS busting→bleeding SKULLS→CODDLED campaigns→varsity
PARADISES→WELCOME
THANKSGIVING→HAPPILY
homeless→blockbuster
STARCRAFT→DEMONOLOGY INSINUATIONS→LEADING blackout→grandiose
devolved→slight nations→culling
GOSSIP→VIDEOTAPE
PITCH→BLACKENED REINSTATED→REHABILITATED WEAKLINGS→STRUGGLING OUTWARD→WEATHERWORN
nowhere→joyful
CULLED→SOAPBOX precipitation→nocturnal nourishment→namesakes homesteads→hawkish daily→scouting weightlifters→birthing
BEDBUGS→EXPRESSIONLESS faces→foulmouthed DENTISTS→LEARNED
locksmiths→linear
OPERANDS→AMPERSANDS
handwritten→symbols
SANS→SERIFS reran→idiomatic SPACES→AXIOMATIC canyons→colored CRAYONS→SHORTHAND
brands→eminent
REDEEMER→MOTHERFUCKER GODSPEED→EMPEROR fixation→futuristic
antibody→entity
obtunded→granted ANNIHILATED→SPHERICAL
APPROBATION→ANYMORE
CHOIRS→COUNTING
capillaries→actions
drawn→dithering
CONFIGURED→CAULDRONS
DIPHTHONGS→PALLID
NEGLIGENCE→NIGHTTIME
endlessly→limber RECKLESSNESS→ONLY
hands→cornfield prayers→palms
TOGETHER→TAUTOLOGICAL HYMNALS→PERIWINKLE
informal→hydrochloric
cornflowers→befallen
AIRPLAY→RADIO
altarpieces→tetrametric HOLLIES→HOPING safehaven→forgotten revolutions→dreamlike
TRANSGRESSIONS→FROM centuries→long EVAPORATED→PANGOLIN EXHALES→KISSING
pretenses→overkill
curls→dumbbell
SITUATIONISM→INTERRUPTED
individualism→blustery
BLIZZARD→WHITEWASHED canvas→broken LEVEE→CONCENTRATED decadence→energy EXTRACTED→SYNERGIZING spectrums→kaleidoscopic RAINBOWS→PRIMROSE
imaginings→ideological
AWAKENINGS→OAKWOOD EPITAPHS→IMMORTAL clattering→ocean’s
processions→predisposed margin→quicksilver
SOUL→MAN’S
WEEPING→UNHEALTHY
vortex→admixed
WISECRACK→CAMEO SUPERCOMPUTER→CONSIDERABLE
appearance→unsightly power→overlooked
OBSOLESCENCE→SUBLIMINAL
fellatio→electromagnetic
MIXUP→DOWNSIZING
components→distributing
PESTICIDES→EASTBOUND lollygagging→scalawags
clouds→coughing
BESPECTACLED→SUNGLASS
STRAITS→OVERFLOWING
confidence→exorcist
DESTINY→MANIFESTATION SHOESTRING→BUDGET
telephoning→secularist
mayhem→morning
SHOESHINE→SUNTAN
RADIANCE→ABOVE
amphibians→ambitious
GREENHOUSE→COWBOY
aesthetics→encounters
UNDERGROUND→GLASSHOUSE
firebombers→freely
MINGLING→INCINERATED
institutions→merciful
DETERIORATION→SADDENING splintered→concepts PEACE→PROTECTED
glow→monster
backpacker→penological
MACHISMO→SIDETRACKED
stratagem→senatorial
SOUNDS→LIKE
sights→falling
REMOVED→PLEASED letting→limpid
BEHIND→DOORWAYS sleep→encouraged SETTINGS→RESTORED
moreover→morphemes
MENDED→GRAMMARS
LINGUISTICS→LEFTOVER
poetics→alighting
revisited→holistic
WORLDS→WINDMILL
hypnosis→airport KINETICS→PINKISH soda→popcorn VOMIT→JURASSIC dehydration→dire
REVITALIZATION→SICKROOM
CURTAINS→PLENTIFUL
blackheads→pimply
surplus→auroral SKIN→SUNRAY
slayer→improvised
CABARET→CABINET
cleanup→porcelain
LIFELINE→MYSTIFIED
downtime→testimonial
INPUT→IMMACULATE
putdowns→presupposed
EULOGIES→LOOMING
LIFEFORMS→DENATURED SANCTUARIES→STOLEN rimming→rounding
meadows→wastelands
proximities→polished limelight→meteorite
MARCH→ROCKETS
RINGSIDES→WATERWHEELS
HOARDING→HOWLING
over→auburn
horses→galloping BARREN→BEYOND
rolling→watchmen GRACEFUL→AMID
photosynthesis→glandular
REPRESENTATIONS→METROPOLITAN IMPASSIONING→AGGRESSIVE score→square
SURF→STADIUM
harmonies→hovering
expeditions→perpetual
rigmarole→unbelievable hype→hologram
BENZ→BELITTLED
RECOVERIES→SUCCEEDED
THYROIDS→THUNDERING songstresses→stressed NOISE→NURSERY
tides→sopping
rhomboids→rustic
SWIMSUITS→SECLUDED
SYLLABLES→SPOKEN rhyme→simplified
distinctions→redesigned
word→whitewater
SYNTAX→DEVOURING
EQUILIBRIUM→EVENING
SHRINE→PROVISIONAL
applauded→then
crop→cakewalk only→integrated
ABANDONED→DESPONDENCY
REAFFIRMED→REPLACED
out→office
interval→insinuated
DISASSEMBLY→DINOSAURIC CONSCIOUSNESS→INVITATION
SCORN→FOUR
ONCE→WHEN
initiated→ambivalence with→workhorse
lacerations→innovative
LAMENTATION→ELABORATE
DEPRECATIONS→DOLLHOUSE politics→national MAXIMS→MAKESHIFT controversies→marigold SUBSTITUTIONS→IRRESISTIBLY imposing→often OFFERED→SUPPOSED
saturation→carbon
riverbanks→ceremonial
FJORDS→ANTIVIOLENT
HILLSIDES→VERDANT curdling→wavelengths MILE→MAIN
SEXUALITY→VIRGINAL snapdragons→deserted
garden→birds
CHIRPING→BLOOD
INTERSECTING→WICKER
attraction→equal
basket→quarter
OPPORTUNITY→OPEN
ended→belated
LOCALE→PROVOCATIVE soundtrack→syndication TOWARD→JELLYFISH tactics→transformative
DISCOURSES→UNAVOIDABLE
STRUCTURES→STARTING
anew→experience
fractals→mobile
AWASH→BATTERING
percussion→invading
PAGINATION→IMPERFECT
future→furthermore
ACTUALIZED→AD
infinitum→vexations
FOREVERMORE→
although earthworms Matt Margo