big ghosts

big ghosts contra

band my diction war

korea's north sees red as

america flags china's chopped limb

 

british crowns hong kong

cut for duplicity more capitalist than capitalist

trades commie goods

slant contagion

 

door slam hello hunger

remember japan's occupation

desperate flee inland seeking

kuomintang line as red gushes sweet at first

from north only to double back

in broken glass kneeling

 

we flay ourselves in dismay

headless corpses fragrance harbour

grandfather costumes jewellery chains debt

as father uncles scramble door to door

against america's abandonment

 

we dream superior technology

car camera oven

made of butter cookie tin

 

we joy our small

we praise america

envision a new europe

 

boots mark us red

double your labour

double the gun

teeth out of mother

tongue all lip left

on body ghosting english

 

i subject curse court curt discourse

hi normal yeah yeah sure boss

whatever you say

Bibliographical info

Larissa Lai, "big ghosts..." from Automaton Biographies. Copyright © 2009 by Larissa Lai. Reprinted by permission of Arsenal Pulp Press.

Source: Automaton Biographies (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2009)

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