Words in tongues we do not speak

TEI-Encoded poem written and encoded by Brian Watson

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                   Words in tongues we do not speak.
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                <publisher>New England College</publisher>
                <pubPlace>Henniker, NH</pubPlace>
                <date>2016</date>
                <availability>
                    <p>Copyright 2016, Brian Watson</p>
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            <sourceDesc>
                <p>Born digital.</p>
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                <head>Words in tongues we do not speak.</head>
                <lg type="stanza" n="1">
                    <l n="1">and when we were done</l>
                    <l n="2">we found that we needed a new word</l>
                    <l n="3">for sloth, for gluttony, and for lust</l>
                    <l n="4">because none of those words</l>
                    <l n="5">would encompass, enclose or envelop those days.</l>
                </lg>
                <lg type="stanza" n="2">
                    <l n="6">so we called it sluttony.</l>
                </lg>
                <lg type="stanza" n="3">
                    <l n="7">sluttony when we satiated ourselves on eachother’s bodies</l>
                    <l n="8">sluttony when we laid there just breathing each other</l>
                    <l n="9">sluttony when we managed to crawl out of bed and gorge ourselves</l>
                    <l n="10">on butter and sugar, chocolate and chai</l>
                </lg>
                <lg type="stanza" n="4">
                    <l n="11">burning our exposed skin when we cooked bacon too hot</l>
                    <l n="12">burning our lips when we tried to feast on each other</l>
                    <l n="13">burning our minds on satiety. </l>
                </lg>
                <lg type="stanza" n="5">
                    <l n="14">There is a word in Japanese that does not translate—</l>
                    <l n="15"><hi rend="italic">futsuumeishi</hi>—the moment after orgasm when one can think clearly.</l>
                </lg>
                <lg type="stanza" n="6">
                    <l n="16">But I find myself unable to think clearly here,</l>
                    <l n="17">because I am trying to drown myself, burn myself, lose myself</l>
                    <l n="18">in you.</l>
                </lg>
                <lg type="stanza" n="7">
                    <l n="19">And I do.</l>
                </lg>
                <lg type="stanza" n="8">
                    <l n="20">Until we come crawling back, gasping back, drifting back</l>
                    <l n="21">into our burnt scaffolding.</l>
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Words in tongues we do not speak. New England College Henniker, NH 2016

Copyright 2016, Brian Watson

Born digital.

 Words in tongues we do not speak. and when we were done we found that we needed a new word for sloth, for gluttony, and for lust because none of those words would encompass, enclose or envelop those days. 5 so we called it sluttony. sluttony when we satiated ourselves on eachother’s bodies sluttony when we laid there just breathing each other sluttony when we managed to crawl out of bed and gorge ourselves on butter and sugar, chocolate and chai 10 burning our exposed skin when we cooked bacon too hot burning our lips when we tried to feast on each other burning our minds on satiety. There is a word in Japanese that does not translate— futsuumeishi—the moment after orgasm when one can think clearly. 15 But I find myself unable to think clearly here, because I am trying to drown myself, burn myself, lose myself in you. And I do. Until we come crawling back, gasping back, drifting back 20 into our burnt scaffolding.

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Words in tongues we do not speak. New England College Henniker, NH 2016

Copyright 2016, Brian Watson

Born digital.

 Words in tongues we do not speak. and when we were done we found that we needed a new word for sloth, for gluttony, and for lust because none of those words would encompass, enclose or envelop those days. so we called it sluttony. sluttony when we satiated ourselves on eachother’s bodies sluttony when we laid there just breathing each other sluttony when we managed to crawl out of bed and gorge ourselves on butter and sugar, chocolate and chai burning our exposed skin when we cooked bacon too hot burning our lips when we tried to feast on each other burning our minds on satiety. There is a word in Japanese that does not translate— futsuumeishi—the moment after orgasm when one can think clearly. But I find myself unable to think clearly here, because I am trying to drown myself, burn myself, lose myself in you. And I do. Until we come crawling back, gasping back, drifting back into our burnt scaffolding.