fluorine

1. The near absence of punctuation and capitalization is notable in this poem. What effect does this visual absence have on how you relate to the words? How you read them?
2. Consider the speaker’s tone. Where does the speaker use irony to examine “mundane acts” and what Wong refers to in this micro-interview as “the materials in our daily lives?”
3. What kind of “poison” is the speaker referring to? Where does the speaker see poison?
4. The concluding image of shiny teeth on a “cold crisp morning” is a stark contrast to the degradation so evident earlier in the poem. What is the speaker saying about the relationship between personal comfort and collective life on earth?
5. A poem without much punctuation provides opportunity for unique recitations. Recite this poem while brushing your teeth. Mark the cadences of the brush strokes, the difficulty of speaking with a mouth full of toothpaste. Integrate these rhythms and cadences into your eventual (non-bathroom!) recitation.
6. Write three or four complete sentences describing a common household object and its function in your home. Once complete, strip the description of punctuation, capitalization, and conjunctions (and, but, as). How has this stripping away affected your understanding of the object? Arrange and (re)arrange the words to reveal the poetry hidden in plain sight.

Useful Links

Rita Wong answers questions about writing: https://capliterature.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/rita-wong-in-dialogue/

Rita Wong reads at the Cascadia Poetry festival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOjPZ2BspNQ