An Image-Essay on Image-Texts

Claes Oldenburg's Soft Alphabet appeals to our heads, the little letters like pillows. Finally a book that is soft, a book that doesn't demand, a letter that comforts, a letter that allows sleep. His sculpture points to the taut tension of literacy: how much work it is, the labour of learning by rote and rite the grammar of our clans. He gives us our language back inflated with dreams. These sculptures are seeds for poems; these things are germinating.

That is why I write an essay with images. That is why I write with images.

Finally the letters begin melting.

Dissolving into DNA.

Then all the buildings reappear as pages written on. Cities are big books.

And forests sprout up built out letters.

Trees are branching out around us every time we do a search.

Meanwhile the measurements continue.

Legible maps result.

Many things occur that defy explanation.

Writing occurs all over the body.

Letters grow hair.

Skin grows letters.

Letters create architectures.

Ruins flourish.

There are even selfish words.

Grafitti walks.

Fruit screens.

Alphabet wars.

Letter medics.

Language wormholes.

Poetry monuments.

& ad flocks.

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Davin Heckman: "I am talking about using the computer itself to transmit truths which are contrary to its own nature-I am talking about the ultimate and original hack-I am talking about poetry."

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