Reid Baer & The Red Book

The Red Book
By Reid Baer

I’m unable to keep pace with my own terms or
thoughts flying ahead instead of staying behind

this perturbed brain easily enough I lose sight
of such fleeting symbols that could spell out – yes - by

this hand! I’d rather be ripping off another
man’s well expressed work than go insane over words

too difficult to pursue so I steal them like
a pilfered coin from a purse what with the gold there

is ain’t his anyway. I’ll lie consciously in
an awkward moment declaring myself as is

to impress a fellow traveler by moving these
letters around restlessly running here and there -

‘tis only my ill gotten gains against my will -
I pull everything down and hastily rebuild.

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