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Iphoetry

Finding a new phone case you want Didn’t even get a follow back on DVT HR in a while ago but Thrift store in a while ago but Ends with the new version is better Ended my life and the rest of Dusty to be the first half of 4/9/16 In case you're wondering: DVT = Deep vein thrombosis HR = Heart rate This poem was constructed in the following manner: I closed my eyes and hit my iPhone text keypad five times, then hit "autocorrect" to get the first word. The next 6 words of each line were the first suggested word by the iPhone text program. Pure randomness, inspired by the random word orderer found in Gulliver's Travels: "Every one knew how laborious the usual method is of attaining to arts and sciences; whereas, by his contrivance, the most ignorant person, at a reasonable charge, and with a little bodily labour, might write books in philosophy, poetry, politics, laws, mathematics, and theology, without the least assistance from genius or study." He then led me to the frame, about the sides, whereof all his pupils stood in ranks. It was twenty feet square, placed in the middle of the room. The superfices was composed of several bits of wood, about the bigness of a die, but some larger than others. They were all linked together by slender wires. These bits of wood were covered, on every square, with paper pasted on them; and on these papers were written all the words of their language, in their several moods, tenses, and declensions; but without any order. The professor then desired me "to observe; for he was going to set his engine at work." The pupils, at his command, took each of them hold of an iron handle, whereof there were forty fixed round the edges of the frame; and giving them a sudden turn, the whole disposition of the words was entirely changed. He then commanded six-and-thirty of the lads, to read the several lines softly, as they appeared upon the frame; and where they found three or four words together that might make part of a sentence, they dictated to the four remaining boys, who were scribes. This work was repeated three or four times, and at every turn, the engine was so contrived, that the words shifted into new places, as the square bits of wood moved upside down."--Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels, Part 3, Chapter 5

Copyright © | Year Posted 2016




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Date: 4/21/2016 5:11:00 PM
I love the unexpected surprises generated from random, non-human art. I did a similar piece using the Babble computer sentence generator. Look for the poem entitled, "April's Babbling Foolishness." http://www.poetrysoup.com/me/TJArnone
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Tom Quigley
Date: 4/21/2016 8:09:00 PM
Me too. Fascinating stuff. Loved yours!
Date: 4/9/2016 6:58:00 PM
I'm kinda like John except I hope you didn't smoke it all. LOL I don't own a cell phone, I think I'm happy with that decision. Just goofin. Thanks for the smile:)
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Tom Quigley
Date: 4/10/2016 6:10:00 AM
Ha! I'm this way all the time--don't need any help. :-)

Book: Radiant Verses: A Journey Through Inspiring Poetry