Icharos *, forest pheromones,
chemical voices & musky patrin **
wandering in search of
my own ear-step
the silent attack of the pranic deer, the rain angel
weathering between cardinal numbers the knock
of the woodpecker's digital nods,
the channel, that would-be true channel,
within the open air
(the open ear) yet unopened
if the brain as a vehicle, legs of mind, or wings
slumbering Garuda, won't
unfold, the pineal
the excellence of a branch is
ever extending the breath of
what might be happening
between things when not aroused, directionless
as if the period of inaction
were an action itself, reverted
after the a period of inaction, interaction reconvenes
as a way of stepping out
into itself again emerges
with peculiarly erotic
tendencies toward silence that
quench desires
leave things flowing, outward, uncontained
the traffic (of particles) without intervention
beckons as a sea of snared drums
going untouched in such
exceedingly hot weather
for days on end, not caring
to lift a finger, to find the
row of fingers themselves
the mushroom is called the dead mole's fingers, ***
seems to contribute substances
disenabling other fungi
getting any grip on the surface of the wood
permitting this wood to harden,
be more resistant to decay
particularly more useful
such wood, for making violins
just an example
there are great ranges of structures
coming in between structures
much more is unknown
than is already known
much more remains so
at any particular time
and what if time
being such a determinant factor
in the history of knowing
is left out of the equation
or becomes less central
in the overall sense of
the dimensions of knowing
and not knowing
if you say you don't know
I'll probably touch the air
goodbye being hello
hello being waves
there was a whole lot of whispering
back and forth as Tesla called it
the back and forth
maybe forwards back
like Kantor said of the actor ****
walking through time's mirror
forwards back
in the autumn after
a heavy rain fall
leaves lay scattered on the ground
whereas in summer
this is not so
or what is the case
in spring in any case
this is much less so
when leaves are most supple
paradoxically resistant
or barely yet existing
it's all a matter of friction they say
let them fall where they may
when the neural network
seems most open for adaptation
a kind of apostasy
one can release beliefs and clinging
one can explore associations
install new constellations
tuning the brain
to the environmental evolving
acetylcholesterase, the enzyme
ready for neural firing
Novalis thought
there could develop new organs
maybe more like aptitudes
maybe we'd better
think (more) like Novalis
except for the weird parts
of course
these trees wiry & reaching
as if they where some kind of antennae
stored me in their earth
and I am not at liberty
to tell you where
or why
_______________________________/ /________________________
footnotes:
* Also spelled icaros, ikaros, from Quechca language. The songs in the ayahuascero traditions which refer to specific medicinal plants. The icaros is said to be given to the ayahuascero in a trance and by some extension the plant must give the song itself, sing the song, somehow, subtly. Hence the analogy to pheremones. This is a poem, after all; but follow your nose in the jungle and see where the gente de yaje lead you. Trust first of all the healing powers of nature.
** patrin are signs (crossed branches, a ribbon) that Romany people sometimes used to leave in the forest to inform other people who know the code about this or that contigent phenomenon.
*** dead mole's fingers A controversial name that is not universally accepted but since the poem was written in 2016, I am assuming I had some reason, even if merely poetic, for using this name. The blog site linked below has numerous picture of the same fungi fingers in various phases in divers places.
**** Tadeusz Kantor Polish Dramaturge & Painter/Assemblage Artist
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