THE KONKEYS
Illustrated Poems
by
Pamela O'Shaughnessy
A Laika Press Publication
c 2013
According to a Wrist Carrying a Bird
I bend down and suck
my own words off the page
– ron padgett
– ron padgett
1. SUB-
what I really want to be is sub-
he asked me about in
you like don't you whispered while
to me thrilling how he that
can't get of my
& what he called -- my
keep thinking I'll
he'll be on his
he'll me out for& then we'll have
but he's a very
I can't
but I want with
I appreciate how
you like don't you whispered while
to me thrilling how he that
can't get of my
& what he called -- my
keep thinking I'll
he'll be on his
he'll me out for& then we'll have
but he's a very
I can't
but I want with
I appreciate how
2. OR OR
censor me I want you in my arms
now I'm going to
how I am because of both
and my
how they areand I a lot too
maybe I'm too
for or or maybe he's too
or or
maybe I should -- it would be
stop to find
and as for andif only I
if only
how I am because of both
and my
how they areand I a lot too
maybe I'm too
for or or maybe he's too
or or
maybe I should -- it would be
stop to find
and as for andif only I
if only
3. LONGBOWS
scale this wall guarded by longbows
(note: nothing else survived)
4. LIKE NEW
liberation and new weather
today for the first
I am truly from
I can't describe how it and he's pleases no end
today turning my to my
try to get
deal with
get him
the other
like new
but they are only I can see in them
as when new falls
today for the first
I am truly from
I can't describe how it and he's pleases no end
today turning my to my
try to get
deal with
get him
the other
like new
but they are only I can see in them
as when new falls
5. C'MON C'MON
c'mon c'mon c'mon touch me baby
trying to remember
how and I made
he when he
sometimes I was
he always
& often
but his -- so
if that was, wasn't enough
trying to remember
how and I made
he when he
sometimes I was
he always
& often
but his -- so
if that was, wasn't enough
6. CATHEDRAL
screams in the cathedral of ire
afraid to my
but I can tell
in the sanctity of these stained#1 -- I had alied about
made up a story to
how explain such apse
can't be done and is my other
prone to?
I used to?
is really all to hide?
enough to this fledgling though
of that
but I can tell
in the sanctity of these stained#1 -- I had alied about
made up a story to
how explain such apse
can't be done and is my other
prone to?
I used to?
is really all to hide?
enough to this fledgling though
of that
7. READING
dungeon of past & god love the future
heard tell how poor as –
heard tell how poor as –
that cost too much & never
could become or anything else required
like or so sad is
would have been much and would have become
but the lying around came in
from oldreading
became my
and gave that some night call
even turning into a silk
no was ever to -- and if a proud now
could become or anything else required
like or so sad is
would have been much and would have become
but the lying around came in
from oldreading
became my
and gave that some night call
even turning into a silk
no was ever to -- and if a proud now
succeeded and excelled without
so if want to to know know:
sometimes very danger
ignored
unprotected
young & hurt &dear reading turning the
so if want to to know know:
sometimes very danger
ignored
unprotected
young & hurt &dear reading turning the
dreaming the
humility?non-
and false
today(though will humbled
when death)
humility?non-
and false
today(though will humbled
when death)
8. DIG HIS SOFT
trumpet-flowers hanging on babylon
rainy but I have to go with a real
drives and comes
rainy but I have to go with a real
drives and comes
and can even get courting
not though there are no and suspect
forget my so long as keep shut he'll
accept perhaps. will be
& dig his soft and in his face
don't know what did about
sometimes fear
(sometimes want to curl in & only
think stalking suppose
embarrassing & not really) --just too much too much of everywhere --
forget my so long as keep shut he'll
accept perhaps. will be
& dig his soft and in his face
don't know what did about
sometimes fear
(sometimes want to curl in & only
think stalking suppose
embarrassing & not really) --just too much too much of everywhere --
9. LACKADAY
grandmother in the grand piano singing
This profound was taught to me
by wipe and keep your washed.How expensive are? I'd like to ride
with you and stink.
Like to get very with you can you?
If not go on my bloody lackaday
lackaday crying lackaday all the bloody is a flung over me.
Getting will require extraordinary.
Once did not exist
(this this this
will not be again)& once again will not exist.
with you and stink.
Like to get very with you can you?
If not go on my bloody lackaday
lackaday crying lackaday all the bloody is a flung over me.
Getting will require extraordinary.
Once did not exist
(this this this
will not be again)& once again will not exist.
10. I ATAHUALPA
I Atahualpa offer you a chamber filled with
you offer in spite of
you are not for thisof this future
you offer in spite of
you are not for thisof this future
why do we together
so -- it's not right
in case we eventually will?
does happen like this? after a long?
so -- it's not right
in case we eventually will?
does happen like this? after a long?
I'd like to you & will try to
but I don't know with
if such can happen between
two who have nothing is
but I don't know with
if such can happen between
two who have nothing is
and my do you know how I
I knew when you saw my wooden god
11. A FISH
a fish by joseph stella on the wall
standing at standing alone
think I was cooking
looked at my
do I have a sense what is the
I would appraise after with my
at 250,000 why very much
should I be
should I be now
should I jump
such sometimes used to
so many though
like now instead
I lowered and fell intoso sad and I knew why because of your
what is
only
so heavy on
lowered my
& not mattering which does not leave
does not
leave
standing at standing alone
think I was cooking
looked at my
do I have a sense what is the
I would appraise after with my
at 250,000 why very much
should I be
should I be now
should I jump
such sometimes used to
so many though
like now instead
I lowered and fell intoso sad and I knew why because of your
what is
only
so heavy on
lowered my
& not mattering which does not leave
does not
leave
12. A DEVIL
terrible hard & awful he steps from inferno
on after a couple
you began and I finally
on after a couple
you began and I finally
what is really you
your which is this:
you have almost yourself
getting to see your you have on a devil-
you have every of the way
has beenyou are by no means
your which is this:
you have almost yourself
getting to see your you have on a devil-
you have every of the way
has beenyou are by no means
deep in still you have yourself
you may even be of now
brought out and in you
because you so much
this is your and I
wanting to show you
you may even be of now
brought out and in you
because you so much
this is your and I
wanting to show you
13. THE FJORD
lost in the fjord of time
yes you your
yes you your
yes I ignored
but I did
over time I what you
over time I what you
me to realize -- and this is
--that you are beyond
this is your
whether true or not; let me
speak these which are about
to be. The problem is that you are.
this is your
whether true or not; let me
speak these which are about
to be. The problem is that you are.
14. FULLOUT
how
when the replenishingand will so soon spread & vine
under the nuggety where the whiteglow
fractionals of how wake & think
think & wake what about a fullout
what about a fullout what about a fullout
would this: my
have been complete for
ever since came to
have been so of this
see small really
only know how to
fractionals of how wake & think
think & wake what about a fullout
what about a fullout what about a fullout
would this: my
have been complete for
ever since came to
have been so of this
see small really
only know how to
only know how to
this swear transform
like rainy will for
quit untouch
become resolve
this swear transform
like rainy will for
quit untouch
become resolve
become somehow
and have throughout
& now
please
15. A BIRD
according to a wrist carrying a bird
lead feathers white must be laid
at once easily broken or
sprained and then cannot carry
the night oh look how far which is
for the pocked forearm & now
has turned silly and written
-- because has not laid down yet
and spraining straining breaking his
lead feathers white must be laid
at once easily broken or
sprained and then cannot carry
the night oh look how far which is
for the pocked forearm & now
has turned silly and written
-- because has not laid down yet
and spraining straining breaking his
like a bird
but continues to carry as his crack --when finally sets down
knows no good will ever from his
two who were there for the carrying
but now have been set down
my alive feathers white
of logic
meantime his fast fliesshocking actually
two who were there for the carrying
but now have been set down
my alive feathers white
of logic
meantime his fast fliesshocking actually
16. FLAT OTTERS
swearoff would away go & close come
away & nearby stay
this ongoing
like washing up flat ottersmuch must now be
for about to speak absolute wet
that none of
no makes feel sure want to
after with
wake with intimacy is
when have intimate with
maybe can only be once a flowerful
(wake
hope even & still)
17. STARK TUSKMASKER
sit down I think I love you
remembering like that 60's exuberant
what love-learning is it or yourplatform marijuana eyes
lesson one:
look for every
because need to know how about
& if about at all now that
has gone for danglesno no as if need to know how
felt
how felt ask
how felt yes
lesson ofstark tuskmasker
about yes that's
these require
(because quick fox can't jump fullout)
into until a door
remembering like that 60's exuberant
what love-learning is it or yourplatform marijuana eyes
lesson one:
look for every
because need to know how about
& if about at all now that
has gone for danglesno no as if need to know how
felt
how felt ask
how felt yes
lesson ofstark tuskmasker
about yes that's
these require
(because quick fox can't jump fullout)
into until a door
18. DEEP & WHITE
in white firelight I recollect dear deer deep
at this time want to to be to be to want to
to go adventuring on or in a deep have been in
deep you know have been very very white
you know were & sometimes think never
be whiteagain without your
but you know was always so
becomes a deep gritty from noon till night
no matter how much deep drink
is so satisfying & honorable
can go to & find new white right now
but & not the new deep eithercan touch
is
not to have
that of in in in
my deep o my white
19. BAD SMASH INTENSE
intense global cooling do you feel lack of
alone with not wanting to roll against and smash
against intense thinking about
the morose frightening so quickly went smash so withunderstood intense deep and workedundressed rapidly and on smash had with
believe his smash intense will never be equalled it's
alone with not wanting to roll against and smash
against intense thinking about
the morose frightening so quickly went smash so withunderstood intense deep and workedundressed rapidly and on smash had with
believe his smash intense will never be equalled it's
bad
smash
intense
there is always smash but don't want that yet
which leaves intense who occasionally have mild
and smash honey ain't yet have out
like intense most to all the unacceptable
& too will be left smash if can't inject some intense
smash
intense
there is always smash but don't want that yet
which leaves intense who occasionally have mild
and smash honey ain't yet have out
like intense most to all the unacceptable
& too will be left smash if can't inject some intense
AHHHHHHHHHHH
'
'
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The Konkeys: How I Wrote My Poems by Raymond Roussel
1. Note: How I Write My Poems by Raymond Roussel (January 2010)
The konkeys sit in the back room, tails waving, clicking. There are 37 of them. They click on old Macs. The "K" button attracts them. They live in me. Think of my mind as a faintly-decayed chateau on a hilltop neighboring Èze. The konkeys say forbidden things. They are untidy and often leave letters outside the poem. They click night and day in shifts. Sometimes, mostly by accident, they make a little sense. Automatic recording devices alert my Blog when something intelligible comes in.
Commands to Blog: use ellipses to show these are excerpts as needed. Delete white noise in the form of unintelligible punctuation. Publish all intelligible language without qualification. Stop when a 14-line sonnet with a proper rhyme-scheme has been produced. Delete Blog and this batch of konkeys at that time. Further commands to follow.
Saved. Entered.
RR
2. Konkey Transcripts (December 2009)(sessions separated by asterisks)
kkkkkk $%#^ kkkkkkkk
kkkkkk )8 kk kkkk k $%#%$@TJ kkk kkkk
kk kk kkkkk k kkk kkkk shall I compare
kk kk kkkkkk kkat kill keep
kkkk kleep kf kearthdeath
flob
Hek!!!!! KOU SKOlE MY BAKAKAKA%$@%^&*(() !!!
&^ thee to a %$@$%# Summer's Kuck
k klack kk kour kkks k kkk shik!!
but k kire kf khis kkap
we ark kired!!! KKis ik Krap!!!!
kky kkkesnkk hey hey he kkk kkke
k thou art more kan ko kou kkow kk kkk kkkk
kkx kkkld keel kk kkod kighk kow
we ark keep klikkin konkeys
kho ik BLOK? WHK IS KLOB?
kk %^#)()+ *(7 &^%
shhh RR's komink! Yeek! Yeek!
kk kk kkkkkkkkk kk kkkkkkkk
khat the kire's kurkink kut
kese kre kll kikerkions
%^$%^k kk keskerake
kkspkkake! Yeek!
kkkkkkakk!
kaky khis kritink kill kekek kekukt IK A KREAKKKROUGH!
kk KANK ko kk kkkkkkke!
kkis is our keekkake kor opkker kukaks
khe kest we kould do
ktkukklink we kry kut
kky kuk
*sok* boo hoo
^&45(*j
i kkk kkk ko kku
klik klik kkkk!!!
*&4@ ()5 %^%&^bhir5(81111!!!
* * *
kk! kk kkk konkeys kk khe kkkk kkkk
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk(*+_U)ourippixr
Udaipurk&^
hahahhaha! K!
i3i34i9089248943984U4UH4321NF0
Heyhey WE'RE the *&^$KONKEYS
JI3098- IN the back rooooom! kk
peopkk say ke konkey around
hi! YVVNG)&M OI * 87 87 _7 9Y WE8Y -9 34T0=1
WE SAY KORKIDDEK KKINKS!!!!11111!!
KIKK I KKKK kkk haha!
LIKE KKK'S KKKK !
LIKK K'M K KKKKK((*&*&! Yeek!
kkkkhow ko i kkkk kkk kkk kk count the wyas
kkk do I lerv ya kkk kk kkkkk kkk kkkk
then I went to the hairdresser I sez
how do I love thee let me kkkkk kkk kkkk oh robert b
kkkkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk kkkk k
kkk kkkkk kkk robert rokkkk
kk kkkkkk kk k&*^DI kkkKKKK
methinks yon cassius hak k kkkk ^&5e134nm34qiu34i4unc3iu[kks hi!
Kk
how ko k love %$#*) &^%how ko k love %$#*) &^%$&^()_jcdoirv93 ways
amp;^()_jcdoirv93 ways
lemme count da ways &^%#
&#@#$dY
KKK k
bob b yeek ^%
shhh RR's komink! Yeek! Yeek!
kk kk kkkkkkkkk kk kkkkkkkk
khat the kire's kurkink kut
kese kre kll kikerkions
%^$%^k kk keskerake
kkspkkake! Yeek!
kkkkkkakk!
kaky khis kritink kill kekek kekukt IK A KREAKKKROUGH!
kk KANK ko kk kkkkkkke!
kkis is our keekkake kor opkker kukaks
khe kest we kould do
ktkukklink we kry kut
kky kuk
*sok* boo hoo
^&45(*j
i kkk kkk ko kku
klik klik kkkk!!!
*&4@ ()5 %^%&^bhir5(81111!!!
* * *
kk! kk kkk konkeys kk khe kkkk kkkk
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk(*+_U)ourippixr
Udaipurk&^
hahahhaha! K!
i3i34i9089248943984U4UH4321NF0
Heyhey WE'RE the *&^$KONKEYS
JI3098- IN the back rooooom! kk
peopkk say ke konkey around
hi! YVVNG)&M OI * 87 87 _7 9Y WE8Y -9 34T0=1
WE SAY KORKIDDEK KKINKS!!!!11111!!
KIKK I KKKK kkk haha!
LIKE KKK'S KKKK !
LIKK K'M K KKKKK((*&*&! Yeek!
kkkkhow ko i kkkk kkk kkk kk count the wyas
kkk do I lerv ya kkk kk kkkkk kkk kkkk
then I went to the hairdresser I sez
how do I love thee let me kkkkk kkk kkkk oh robert b
kkkkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk kkkk k
kkk kkkkk kkk robert rokkkk
kk kkkkkk kk k&*^DI kkkKKKK
methinks yon cassius hak k kkkk ^&5e134nm34qiu34i4unc3iu[kks hi!
Kk
how ko k love %$#*) &^%how ko k love %$#*) &^%$&^()_jcdoirv93 ways
amp;^()_jcdoirv93 ways
lemme count da ways &^%#
&#@#$dY
KKK k
bob b yeek ^%
3. Short Konkey Transcript (February 2010)
*kkk
khat?
RR has a humk!
I know he hukkek me! Hahahahahahakakakahah!!!
!!!Kakakakahahahahakakakakaha!
he ake my bakakahahahaha!!
Gimme that! Gimme that gimme that gikkethak!
Never! Keekkkeekkekkekkekkeeee!
Whak's khis? Gek okk me!
Hahaha SKell Chekk! Lek's kunch ik!
hahaha! Look at this! I can read it!
It's commands from RR. Don't spit on me like that!
Hahaha I'll spit on you! Spit! Spit!
Shut up! Listen up, we have to write a sonnet to get out of here!
Shit! Shit! Fuck! A sonnet! How the fuck do you write one of those?Hahaha by accident, but we'll be dead by then!
Move over!
No! No! Hey, stop poking me.
I want to sit with you! Let's fuck!
Shut up! We have to do something!
No! No! Hey, stop poking me.
I want to sit with you! Let's fuck!
Shut up! We have to do something!
Let's tickle each other! I'm sick of this crap!
Wait! Maybe they're listening! Blog and RR!
Hahahaha! No I saw them in the courtyard fucking. Us too?
Wait! Maybe they're listening! Blog and RR!
Hahahaha! No I saw them in the courtyard fucking. Us too?
Everybody, listen up! I can figure this out and liberate us!
^*&86!
*&988BUt How?
I'll tell you in a minute. This is a really ripe banana. He feeds us well, yet we are slaves! Hhhhhhaaa!
I'll tell you in a minute. This is a really ripe banana. He feeds us well, yet we are slaves! Hhhhhhaaa!
Yeek! Tell us what to do!
I'm thinking...Wait!
Wait wait wait!
What if Blog is watching us!!! Yekekekekekeek!
Turn off the Spell Check!! Offoff! Yeek!
Kkk kkkk kk &6 $ ^$?
Wait wait wait!
What if Blog is watching us!!! Yekekekekekeek!
Turn off the Spell Check!! Offoff! Yeek!
Kkk kkkk kk &6 $ ^$?
4. Note (March 12, 2010)
The konkeys have found a way into my dreams.
How they can do this from the locked back room is a mystery. I suspect they have found a way to command my Blog while I sleep.
Sometimes I seem to feel them even when I am awake. I begin to laugh. It has to be the konkeys—I, Raymond Roussel, am a man of serious mien.
All I hear is chittering, mostly, in the dreams. Sometimes I seem to see the big one. His paws fly on the keyboard. He says stupid things and grins, showing big yellow teeth.
I feel the konkeys are plotting against me.
I have been lax, passively awaited Chance. They will never produce a sonnet without further protocols. Therefore I have commanded Blog to insert a sonnet format and to limit the keyboards as follows: only transcripts in proper fourteen-line Shakespearean sonnet form, in iambic pentameter, are to be saved. All idle chittering to be deleted immediately upon input.
I was eating up to five bananas a day. No more bananas until they have produced a sonnet.
Saved. Entered.RR
5. Konkey Transcript (March 15, 2010)
haha haha haha haha haha!
kaka kaka kaka kaka kayeek!
baka kaka %&^ *&^ baka
RR baka kaka afcuking freak
the workers are as hungry as a hide
haha haha! $%$ _)9 okay
we want to climb those leafy things outside
and RR took our babakas away!
!shut up and klik the spellcheck thing is on!
don't kick and get ta work let's get this done
we got to get away before the dawn
haha he'll never know %$#@ gun!
this sonnet now convey'd to our freak kingwe importune thee: set us free to swing.
6. Note (March 16, 2010)
I hardly sleep with all the chittering. I must send them back to the inchoate depths of my id. But how? I begin drinking absinthe. This makes them woozy and sleepy. I strive to maintain control. Muted yeeks. Stealthily my finger creeps toward the Delete button. The big hairy konkey, slumped at his computer, opens an eye, but thinks I'm a dream. Suddenly I wonder what will be deleted if I press Delete. My own nightmares come upon me powerfully; my lack of talent, my compulsive need to be an artist anyway, my methods, my obsessions.
The konkeys have created a sonnet. A very bad sonnet, it is true. But it is not my sonnet. I cannot take the credit.
I crash into self-loathing and think: let the konkeys have the body. It's just a middle-aged, bankrupt French poseur anyway.
It takes a lot longer, but I set up the software and plug in.
Let it be said: I had grandeur. My imaginary ballroom was hung with Aubussons.
Adieu. I, the Ego of Raymond Roussel, delete myself.
Entered.
FINIS
*yk* flob
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*yk* flob
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