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Millard Kaufman's final novel has arrived!
Pick up Misadventure now—or, see what
you've missed out on thus far by picking up
both Bowl of Cherries and Misadventure
for 27% off the retail price.

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Francis Bacon
Sestina.

BY LYNN KILPATRICK

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I've used the figures lying on beds with a hypodermic syringe as a form of nailing the image more strongly into reality. —Francis Bacon

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 except it's ridiculous, this attempt
 we are always trying both to get in
 and get out and what are we left
 with? a hypodermic syringe
 which only reminds me of his face stopping time
 he ran his hands up my legs, dead, 

 i thought, we all end up dead
 but everyone was singing sex and sex and sex, attempting
 to forestall the tyranny of time
 that's one way to remain in
 reality, another is: a hypodermic syringe
 use that and what's left? 

 what you're left
 with is something more than death: 
 a hypodermic syringe. 
 she told me they're getting married, an attempt
 (they are trying, so hard, to stay in) 
 there's more than one way to stop time

 just as divorce is happening, there is time
 to use up everything, use up what is left
 i got high thinking: staying out or in
 either way results in death
 this is one way or another attempt
 just another (hypodermic syringe) 

 way (this nail, this hypodermic syringe) 
 he was making reality, altering time
 his o.d. white face almost waking, my attempt
 (what remains, what is left) 
 i was chanting to keep him dead
 his eyes singing sex and sex and sex, in 

 my skin, up my legs, and on in-
 to my body, his gaze a hypodermic syringe
 and onto reality with this, his dead 
 eyes stopping time
 pretending death isn't what's left
 isn't just this final attempt: 

 playing dead, trying to stop time 
 this way, nailing it in with a hypodermic syringe
 using what's left, a shade of red, anything, one last attempt 

 

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