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A r b u s
A Note on Sources: The three poems that follow are based largely on tape recordings of a series of classes that photographer Diane Arbus gave in 1971, as transcribed in Diane Arbus (Aperture, 1972). In addition, “Devolving” integrates photo captions from the same book.
Devolving
I could become
a million things:
child with a toy
hand grenade
in Central Park,
identical twins,
a flower girl
at a wedding,
nudist lady
with swan
sunglasses,
Xmas tree
in a living room.
I don’t like
to arrange things.
If I stand in front
of something,
instead of arranging it,
I arrange myself.
H o w i e
G o o d
H o w i e G o o d
Prelude to the Revolution
Arbus
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