WEBVTT

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So this is a piece that's
also in the new book.

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And it's also going to be in
an anthology from the Boston

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Review about surveillance,
poems about surveillance.

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So this is something else I
did in public to write a poem.

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The ritual is titled
"Security Cameras and Flowers

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Dreaming the Elevation
Allegiance" for Susie Timmons.

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"From Walnut & Broad
St. to Walnut & 19th,

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I stopped for every
security camera.

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Philadelphia watches us always,
Fuck you watching us always.

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Several cameras in one
block, I took notes.

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It was noon.

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It was 12:00, just
as I wanted it to be.

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I took notes for the
poem, notes, notes, notes.

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A little basket of edible
flowers, nasturtiums, roses,

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pansies, I eat pansies.

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I love pansies.

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They're delicious
buttery purple lettuce.

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At each security camera I
paused, looked into the camera,

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directly in there, and stuck
my tongue inside a flower.

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Flicked it in and
out, in and out,

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flicking, licking,
suckling, blossoms.

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A security guard
came out and asked

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what the fuck are you doing?

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I replied, 'I'm a pollinator,
I'm a pollinator!'

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I allowed myself
to say only this

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for the duration of the security
camera pollination application.

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'I'm a pollinator.

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I'm a pollinator!'

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I took many notes, and the
notes became a poem titled,

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'I Want to do Everything
Wrong Just Once.'"

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"I Want to do Everything
Wrong Just Once."

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"Suddenly we are a daisy
under the big wheel.

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Throw it out to the batter;
leave it up to the outfield.

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The umpire sees how
I divide you from me.

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You have no choice over
the weak notes in the song.

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You think I'm afraid?

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Of course I am; I'm
disgusted chopping us in two.

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Will it help to kill the
one who hypnotizes you?

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We can try, we can always try.

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Betting on the better
part of quaking,

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we cap the balding
yard with angel wings,

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ancient astronauts,
a poetic acuity

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we have been waiting to
carry us away forever.

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To survive I stayed away from
people who wanted to kill me.

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That's the big secret.

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Let them jam it in the back of
your mouth, just a quick police

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search."

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