Avant-Sonnet

Opening the Cage: 14 Variations on 14 Words

Edwin Morgan

"I have nothing to say and I am saying it and that is poetry." — John Cage

I have to say poetry and is that nothing and am I saying it
I am and I have poetry to say and is that nothing saying it
I am nothing and I have poetry to say and that is saying it
I that am saying poetry have nothing and it is I and to say
And I say that I am to have poetry and saying it is nothing
I am poetry and nothing and saying it is to say that I have
To have nothing is poetry and I am saying that and I say it
Poetry is saying I have nothing and I am to say that and it
Saying nothing I am poetry and I have to say that and it is
It is and I am and I have poetry saying say that to nothing
It is saying poetry to nothing and I say I have and am that
Poetry is saying I have it and I am nothing and to say that
And that nothing is poetry I am saying and I have to say it
Saying poetry is nothing and to that I say I am and have it




I can't really comment much on this. But man, if you ever want to go chasing the rabbit further down the hole than is strictly good for you, read this. 


Plus, catch my upcoming concert of 4'33 that I'll be live-podcasting along with a read-along blog of the score. It's at www.creedthoughts.gov.www\creedthoughts. (It's been my lifelong dream to marry my two first loves: avant-garde classical composition and single-camera NBC comedy. And you were all here to witness it.)


So it's about 2 months into this grand experiment and I'm almost finally caught up - a post for every day of the year so far. This seems like a good time to ask...


How'm I doing? Any thoughts on what you like or loathe? More snark? Less snark? More close readings of the text or more autobiographical hyperbolic rambling? What can I do to make you read more and by extension LOVE ME MORE?!