“talking forest”

The Elm said this like a wisper

Alicia Cohen, “Talking Forest,” ecopoetics 1, page 20

Like this a lot. Something about that word “wisper” is so attractive. What would a wisper be. I like the thought of constructing an Elm language. The poem has a mysterious marvelousness. I can’t figure it out, but I want to reread it. There is word play, sound play, grammar play, all in a loose unlabored way.

You couldn’t keep this up though. I don’t think a poet could populate a whole forest in this way. Now I see that we could talk forest or talk about a talking forest. There’s not much forest in here, actually more of bus and grass.

I am lost in the middle. There are turns of I and eye. There is irrational progression. It does not seem especially organic, just whimsical. But still attractive.

I take the name foul salmon

I even like this. I think it’s a great way to wrap it up. Foul salmon is something attractive to scavengers no doubt.

I like putting a wolf and bear in the last line. And the sprinkles of capitalization.

Article by Alicia Cohen, “Nature is a Haunted House—but Art—a House that tries to be haunted”: Los Angeles, Trauma, and Orphic Anxiety in the Work of Jack Spicer