Alberto Vitacchio
BREAKFAST
all whalemen chief mates second mates third
mates sea carpenters sea coopers sea blacksmiths
harpooners ship keepers a brown and brawny
company
coffee
hot rolls
beefsteaks
rare
hehim wonders
about
cheescakes
Seat
an
harpoon
near
a
Cage
USE
an
IBM
Selectric
typewriter
to
print
it
said
he
1965
1914
1851
THE STREET
( all together )
if
I
had
(aside)
    green
    it’s green
    a greenish
    green
( a )
GREEN
GREEN
I FIRST MET DEAN NEAL ISHMAEL HERMAN FAITH
UNA ALLEN SILAS NATTY HUCK RED ERIC GREGORY
LAWRENCE TED EDGAR SAUL JACK PETER TROUT
on different shelves
§
scribbling
notes
255/266
Columbus Avenue
San Francisco
THE CHAPEL
(whispering from the proscenium)
    we can suggest coordinates
    spoken trimmings
    steps
the left foot
gentlemen
GENTLEMEN
the foot
(at the top of one’s voice)
we single out pierced window panes
further on
other terra cotta sighs
and rosy walls
and fog
and oratorystands
and
also there
on the sea
(               )
beyond stromness
chapelshospitals for recitatives
broken up in the glass
(tuning up)
sacred to the memory
to the
(      )
mayonnaise jars on request
to oil trouts at dusk
to(ti)
to tee
thee
THE PULPIT
of aluminium
eight steps
waiting point
(first station)
we ascend through the pages
gravely
gazing from above there remain
overimprinted frames
(second station)
(aside)
pay no attention to the ground noise
don’t
DON’T
he lies down on the third shelf
it stays ashore
the glasses panting
(h     i     m)
HE
tonal directions
at first resounding
(tense fingers please)
then subdued
very gentle
in breaking up
decals
sound fragmentations
all together
ALL TOGETHER
THE SERMON
oblique to the groin ratafià
chef’s speciality
(aside a smile)
TOLD FISH AHAB STYLE
(on the proscenium)
Jonah steps forward burping
(murmuring)
IASSUREYOUIASSUREYOU
a
big fish
a big fish
(gentlemenGENTLEMENgentlemen)
WE
SWALLOW
A BOSOM FRIEND
a bosun fiend
a cosy loving pair
A.V. writes: "Landlessness is a journey through literature with a text for each chapter of Moby Dick. An earlier extract appeared in Otoliths, issue thirty-seven."
previous page     contents     next page
all whalemen chief mates second mates third
mates sea carpenters sea coopers sea blacksmiths
harpooners ship keepers a brown and brawny
company
coffee
hot rolls
beefsteaks
rare
hehim wonders
about
cheescakes
Seat
an
harpoon
near
a
Cage
USE
an
IBM
Selectric
typewriter
to
it
said
he
1965
1914
1851
THE STREET
( all together )
if
I
had
(aside)
    green
    it’s green
    a greenish
    green
GREEN
(aside whispered)
I
first
met
I
first
met
I FIRST MET DEAN NEAL ISHMAEL HERMAN FAITH
UNA ALLEN SILAS NATTY HUCK RED ERIC GREGORY
LAWRENCE TED EDGAR SAUL JACK PETER TROUT
on different shelves
§
scribbling
notes
255/266
Columbus Avenue
San Francisco
THE CHAPEL
(whispering from the proscenium)
    we can suggest coordinates
    spoken trimmings
    steps
with livid lips croaks
he
clarifications
subject
he
clarifications
subject
gentlemen
GENTLEMEN
the foot
(at the top of one’s voice)
we single out pierced window panes
further on
other terra cotta sighs
and rosy walls
and fog
and oratorystands
and
on the sea
(               )
he HE was looking forTalbot
because of dried collages
affliction seabecause of dried collages
beyond stromness
chapelshospitals for recitatives
broken up in the glass
sacred to the memory
to the
(      )
mayonnaise jars on request
to oil trouts at dusk
to(ti)
to tee
thee
THE PULPIT
of aluminium
eight steps
waiting point
(my God the telephone)
we ascend through the pages
gravely
gazing from above there remain
overimprinted frames
(aside)
pay no attention to the ground noise
don’t
DON’T
he lies down on the third shelf
it stays ashore
the glasses panting
(h     i     m)
HE
tonal directions
at first resounding
(tense fingers please)
then subdued
very gentle
in breaking up
decals
sound fragmentations
all together
ALL TOGETHER
THE SERMON
oblique to the groin
he swallows gulps down chews nibbles glabrous enjoys roaring dawdles palatal waitings rich dish dunks nails rubbing lips sucks breaths in fragrances ambrosie drippings and then sauces dressings stains with food languishes bleeds bloodless blood puddings clicks tongue tagliata little chunks gobbles sparkling wines sheds traces pork rinds from sauce to sauce ascends broken breathing braised litanies loins thirty chewing movements chewy dentexes identical basses devours dries up humpback whales eats bravely mouthfuls ice creams  sherbets sorb apples munches crunches nibbles boiled zucchini obliquely on music stand agitated soups exquisite tastiness improvising al brucio grilled spring lamb in inexhaustible holds tasty regurgitations trills grog  crabby crabs gratinated licks little venous valves half-open smacks his lips hurls fish soups basses eats almonds tender lips bright braised meats browns onions   radicchio  rigid ruchette sizzles  bones bones beats turns over dips whips up sloshes about sly shrouds rinses glasses mugs gulps down soft drinks   fizzy sparkling wines darting swallows fingers aside replete full gasps  glances sachertorte submerged meringues  absent swimming   pool misunderstood   shore  oblique   gushing  back creamy espresso jam  tarts  crumiri   crumb-pie   and
chef’s speciality
(aside a smile)
TOLD FISH AHAB STYLE
(on the proscenium)
Jonah steps forward burping
(murmuring)
IASSUREYOUIASSUREYOU
a
big fish
a big fish
(gentlemenGENTLEMENgentlemen)
WE
SWALLOW
A BOSOM FRIEND
a bosun fiend
HE smiles wearely however it’s so because of associations out of anxiety or ravings because of wish to assail the pagewhite out of semantic greed because of vocal rounding off out of sounds symmetrically imagined            with            earphones               polished            by the surf             wild             he           was
also here or beyond hidden hills dreamy glasses sudden recitations fogs on the bow typing in yearbooks of drought so lack of water HE turns notes carefully very slow gestures turning to the porch you could peep at her shameless laughs raucous frantically virgin only  with the side caulked  of the paperknife only wild he was
motionless   they  recite  illuminated  texts there resounds St Patrick and other past Adam and Eve meant as missal He turned the heavy smell of tobacco doesn’t distract him also by screenschildren than clung to the bony chair they were smoking calumets with fenimore
A.V. writes: "Landlessness is a journey through literature with a text for each chapter of Moby Dick. An earlier extract appeared in Otoliths, issue thirty-seven."