Interior Design

Each unto some other
thing. Seeking variety. 
She says: go fetch. Not 
like dog, more harvest 
festival. So you mean-

der & bring driftglass 
& gull's feather from
the beach, tree-root
curved from the earth's
compression, flowers & 

stalks of wheat from the 
opening of the field. Re-
bus. Distributed. Finally 
some thrift-shop thing, an 
old cushion revitalized

through careful washing,
or a small print, Turner,
the Thames in fog. & 
the house, so long in
building, comes together.

Moleskine

Cell phones explode
at the edges of
the cycle track. Another
wrong number. He reached

for his address book. What-
ever he wanted was in 
there somewhere, but he'd
lost sight of it long ago.

wednesday newstrip

Australian Opposition leader Putrid Dustbin attacks Prime Minister for including calls for ceasefire & de-escalation in motion reflecting on 7 October · Bunnings Australia shoppers go wild over $15 item for transforming dirty grout: 'Holy grail' · T.®ump spoke with Putain at least seven times since leaving White House, Bob Woodward reports · McDonald's Australia brings back beloved $2.50 menu item after three years · Evangelicals for Harris claim Franklin Graham is threatening to sue them · classic Aussie phrase — 'mate' — offending people in 2024 · Notjustanyahoo says Israel has killed late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's successors · T.®ump stuns social media as he dances along to YMCA at the end of speech about October 7 attacks.

A couple of new books

Mark Young
The Magritte Poems
Sandy Press
ISBN: 979-8-9898666-3-2 Amazon URL: https://a.co/d/65ZzzPr
648 pages
Paperback: $US24.99
Kindle: $US12.00

This is a book 21 years in the making. The first Series Magritte poem — three words, three lines — was composed on the front step of a motel room at Yarra Glen, about 50 kilometers from Melbourne. It appeared on the As/Is blog in — I think — November 2003, was followed by another twenty or so at the same blog, & then, in March 2024, the following post appeared at my then main blog, Pelican Dreaming:

I have decided to start a blog for my Series Magritte poems. The URL is https://seriesmagritte.blogspot.com.

As I write this, there are 547 poems up at Series Magritte. I have included all of them in this book. Interspersed among them are a number of other poems — the Florence Foucault centos, composed of extracts from Michel Foucault's book on Magritte, This Is Not a Pipe, & the 1860 The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette, by Florence Hartley, some of which actually appeared under the pseudonym of Florence Foucault, & also included are other of my poems that reference Magritte, including one that dates back to 1974. My admiration for René Magritte goes back a long way!

This is a collected, not a selected, so it may be uneven in quality. I would also have liked to include some of the Magritte paintings that inspired the poems, but that would undoubtedly have raised copyright issues as well as ending up as a seriously expensive tome. I have no intention of stopping writing Magritte poems, but I've decided to bring a dotted line to the venture so that I can see what it looks & feels like in book form. For those that don’t like the heft of such things, there is also a Kindle edition which Amazon warns may take a while to download.

I want to thank Javant Biarujia for his introduction, which is up at Sandy Press, & Sheila E. Murphy for her blurb which can be found on the Amazon page. Their words are more than I deserve.

I also want to thank Bill Allegrezza & Jukka-Pekka Kervinen for publishing earlier selections of my Magritte poems. I want to thank harry k stammer for publishing this collection & for doing the covers of some of the aforementioned smaller books. Lastly, I'd like to pay tribute to René Magritte for making the invisible visible.

There's also a recently published collection of my non-Magritte poems.

Alkaline Pageantry
Serious Publications
Lulu URL: https://www.lulu.com/shop/mark-young/alkaline-pageantry/paperback/product-rmenkpq.html?page=1&pageSize=4
76 pages
$US4.82

Alkaline Pageantry is the latest collection of poems by Mark Young that reflect — like much of his previous work — the insanity & inanity of the modern world. 'Give me a seagull with a / positronic brain & I'll / give you the next leader / of the modern world.' The poems come from the last six years, before, during, & after Covid; touch on the duplicity of world leaders; use search engines as a creative tool; deploy humor as a weapon to lay waste to civilization as it’s currently presented. 'Sorry, / nothing / matched your / search terms. Please / try / again with / a different fish.'

Today the post
woman brought
me a trans-
Atlantic passenger
liner. I tried to

sail it in the lagoon
at the bottom of the
street but when I got
it in there it wouldn't
budge, something to

do with Newton's
unpublished fourth
law of motion which,
in précis, posits big
fish / big pool. I've

decided to leave the
liner where it is,
open it up as
an hotel. The
pelicans are pissed.
  

wednesday newstrip

DoNuts T.®ump encourages Israel to strike Iran’s nuclear sites · the NSW Education Standards Authority has announced that teaching of the Aboriginal past prior to European arrival will be excluded from the Year 7–10 syllabus as of 2027 · A-list star ‘horrified’ as alleged Diddy sex tape gets pushed to media outlets: ‘he feels like he was victimized years ago’ · Sydney woman allegedly killed & dismembered husband in ‘bizarre’ murder case, police say · a scorned Canadian wife has opened up about how she ate her dead husband’s ashes after finding out about his string of affairs · a year into the Israel-Gaza war, the Middle East is on the verge of chaos. How does it end?

While opening the gate

I sometimes wonder
what birds did

before powerlines
were invented.

wednesday newstrip

T.®ump praises Russia's military record in argument to stop funding Ukraine's fight · Murk Suckerbug says Meta AI has nearly 500 million users · fatal stabbing of Japanese schoolboy in China sparks debate on the country's patriotic education · Israeli politicians across spectrum praise assassination of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah · Just Stop Oil protestors arrested after Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers splashed with soup · Australian Broadcasting Corporation crew becomes subject of Russian criminal investigation for crossing border from Ukraine · thousands attended Auckland's Eden Park in an attempt to reclaim the Guinness World Record for the largest haka. The attempt was successful, decisively beating the previous official record of 4028, inexplicably held by France since 2014.

wednesday newstrip

Tupperware files for bankruptcy as its colorful containers lose relevance · ex-porn star tells cops in 2018 he’s Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ alleged sex slave in resurfaced video · sugar prices surge as Brazil's drought & fires tighten global supply · man arrested in Italy nearly 50 years after two Melbourne women found dead in their home · Israel struck a building in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, killing Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil & at least 30 other people, & wounding 66 · a US Secret Service probe found communication gaps & complacency before the July assassination attempt on DoNuts T.®ump · can mouth-taping lead to a better night's sleep? · former Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed a 'monster,' victims' lawyers say · US public schools banned 10,000 books in most recent academic year.

wednesday newstrip

Leader of the Australian Federal Opposition, Putrid Dustbin, to take axe to green groups, turbocharge mining, if his coalition wins the next election · thousands of protesters disrupt Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition, an industry-only trade expo for the defense sector, in Melbourne's CBD · the arrest of Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ church changes the political landscape of the Philippines · Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters says he has become father of baby girl born ‘outside my marriage’ · Australian breaker Raygun is currently ranked number one in the world · an estimated 67 million viewers across 17 networks watched the Trump-Harris debate according to Nielsen data · Bungie says Destiny 2's future lies in "unusual formats," like "roguelikes or survival shooters."

wednesday newstrip

During his visit to Indonesia, the Pope may have subtly hinted how sin can enter 'through the pocket' · investor who risked it all on Black Myth: Wukong now minting millions · Putain, with a wry smile, says Russia backs Kamala Harris in US election · Hollywood legend Michael Keaton is going back to using his real name, Michael Keaton Douglas · China to build first-ever thorium molten salt nuclear power station in Gobi Desert · Aotearoa New Zealand's next Māori monarch named as Kiingi Tuheitia is buried, placed beside generations of family · Japan may join US marines in northern Australia, strengthening military ties · thousands of Australians are being asked to pay membership fees to general practitioner (GP) clinics to access bulk-billed medical care.

wednesday newstrip

“The growth of Parkinson’s across the world has been called a pandemic — it’s the world’s fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease,” a visiting neurologist tells a crowd of potato farmers. “Many people are under the misunderstanding that it’s a genetic condition. But for the most part, it appears to be mostly environmental.” · Australia's 3G network is shutting down · Surcharges — which cost Australians about $960 million a year, according to a March analysis of Reserve Bank of Australia data by the ABC — are becoming increasingly common across Australia. Some retailers add them to cover the cost of processing a transaction. Surcharges are banned in the United States, Canada, Europe, & Britain · neighbor of nudist resort couple arrested after duo's disappearance · The Pacific Islands Forum has removed references to Taiwan from a communiqué issued on Friday after the region’s annual leaders meeting, after complaints by China’s envoy · Army confirms T.®ump staff 'pushed' Arlington cemetery worker · New Zealand's Māori King Tuheitia dies at 69 after heart surgery.

An introduction; though when finished will be an afterword.

During my trawling through past posts & pages for 100 Titles From Tom Beckett, I rediscovered a January 2013 entry on Tom’s l’amour fou blog. He posted:

Anyway, in a section of Appearances that I'm working on now I list titles of imaginary songs that appear on an imaginary jukebox in an imaginary bar called the Cave, a very special club house for the legendary performance art group Vaudeville without Organs.

A jukebox is a treasure trove of information about the sort of establishment it exists within. Herewith a list, alphabetically sorted, of a few of the song titles in the Cave’s jukebox,

followed by a list of a list of sixteen titles, & a closing message:

Mark, you're welcome to any of these titles if you're looking for some.

I can’t claim not to have seen this post since, in the comments box, is the following:

(from) mark young January 2, 2013 at 2:52 AM
You been a peepin at my wurlitzer again!

Jukeboxes are a shared pleasure. On my side, I’ve lost track of how many times — posts & poems — I’ve referred to those songs that rise unbidden to the surface of what I call my juxebox of the mind. In what is admittedly a very belated response, I’ve begun pushing the buttons on this refound Wurlitzer to see what wonders we can wring from it.

Starting tomorrow, the first poem in the series. The remainder will follow at irregular intervals.

wednesday newstrip

Dying Light: The Beast has way more guns than we expected · Olympic breakdancing controversy ignores sport's cultural roots · ISIL claims responsibility for stabbing attack in Germany’s Solingen · Transgender woman's exclusion from female-only app was unlawful, Australian Federal judge finds · Lily Allen branded an 'awful person' by fans after returning rescue dog · NASA unveils plan to return stranded Boeing Starliner crew to Earth · almost 70,000 Japanese people will die alone this year & with the populaiton rapidly aging it could become much worse · Jackson Hole gathering reveals fresh concern for central bankers · first prisoner swap since Ukraine incursion into Russia sees 115 prisoners released on each side.

A midnight census

In the background the pool 
pump hums. Put clarifier 
in the water, & now it has to
circulate for thirty-six hours
to let the clouding particles 
coalesce.
                 There is a smoke 
smell in the air. Drove around 
over the last few days on roads 
impinged upon by opportunistic 
grasses. A day of rain & they 
grow. A month later they are dry, 
primed for burning. Easier to 
set them alight than mow the 
strip that runs along the road-
side.
          The static geometry of the 
house separates the evening into 
panels. A quintych. Angular, o-
blique. Trees fill in some of the 
gaps, but the most striking are 
those where there are gaps in 
the trees themselves, one in part-
icular, bite-shaped, as if some-
one had tried an apple & then 
abandoned it. Acute.
                                       Touch 
yourself. Only flesh,
which the hand passes 







along the way

cigarettes

coffee

chicken & rice

burnt grass

a tart plum












through as if it wasn’t there.

wednesday newstrip

A charity in New Zealand has mistakenly distributed pineapple sweets laced with a potentially lethal dose of methamphetamine · Israeli leaders condemn settler attacks in West Bank in rare rebuke of violence · Google just released the newest version of its AI image generator · Tasmanian paramedic sacked after callout to woman with ping pong ball stuck in body · Chinese experts have called on Beijing to begin preparations to take over Taiwan "as soon as possible" in the face of a potential DoNuts T.®ump presidency · first case of polio confirmed in a 10-month-old child in Gaza, Palestinian health officials say · brawl erupts in Turkish parliament during debate — leaves at least two lawmakers injured · woman posed as three different people in brazen plot to extort millions from Elvis Presley's family & auction off Graceland.

geographies : Manangatang

She left the train at a station whose name now escapes her ;

wednesday newstrip

Israel's far-right finance minister suggests that the starvation of Gaza’s population of more than 2 million Palestinians "might be just & moral" · New Zealand unlikely to have megaquake, but dangers exist — seismologist · around 100 Palestinians killed in Israeli air strike on school in Gaza, local authorities say · DoNuts T.®ump's campaign says some of its internal communications were hacked, blaming the Iranian government without providing direct evidence · pro-Israeli lobby group United Democracy Project spent more than $14 million on TV advertising targeting the primary of one Democrat Israel critic in Congress & $8 million on another Congress member's primary & succeeded in having them replaced as candidates in the next election · Winda Woppa locals stunned by 'devastating' coastal erosion at Jimmy's Beach.

The Camembert of Time (an early draft from 20 years ago)

To demonstrate the persistence of memory Dali took an ice cube out of the freezer & closed his fingers over it. When he opened them there was a small pool of water in his palm. He said: you remember the piece of ice. I feel its retained coldness & recall some frames from a movie I made with Buñuel. A man’s hand. A hole in it. Ants.

Time is plastic, just like these watches. Why we remember some things & not others is because they come closer to us. The cliffs of Catalonia are static but the ants will eat away at them & eventually they’ll decay. I lie here, unable to remember what I looked like. The painting is about the impermanence of memory, & yet most people who’ve seen it always seem to remember what it looked like.

wednesday newstrip

Iran vows 'severe' revenge after announcing Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed by short-range projectile · Windows 11 24H2 WDDM 3.2 ships with big upgrades for GPU, NPU as Microsoft bets on Copilot · US deploying F-22s to Middle East as Iran seeks revenge on Israel · T.®ump pulls out of debate with K.Harrismatic, wants them to face off on Fox News instead · most chatbots inherently 'left-leaning,' but have capacity to 'learn' bias, study finds · beyond the elation, Putain's prisoner swap has ominous implications · AI is already straining electricity systems – & we’re just at the beginning.

Today the post-
woman brought
me a pasta
maker. My 
heart gave out — 
I'd asked for
a pacemaker.

wednesday newstrip

DoNuts T.®ump tells Christians they ‘won’t have to’ vote again after election · French UFC star claims 'Christianity was humiliated' in Olympic opening ceremony · two children killed & nine injured in stabbing attack at Southport, in England's north-west · Intelligence service says Kim Jong Un preparing daughter Kim Ju Ae to lead North Korea · Victorian mother jailed for forcing daughter to marry man who murdered her six weeks later · Apple TV+ reportedly has spent $30 billion on original films & shows, but gets fewer views in one month than Netflix gets in a day · the Australian Olympic Committee has issued a statement in response to frustration & controversy over its "vegan" focus at the athletes' village · can Kamala’s knitting-obsessed, topless-modeling stepdaughter help her to the presidency?

geographies : Garvoc

 

wednesday newstrip

Penis cancer cases are surging around the world · Chinese authorities say they are investigating contaminated cooking oil issues after local media reports found a major state-owned food company used the same trucks to ship fuel, chemical liquids, & food products to cut costs · T.®ump vows to end Ukraine war in call with Zelenskyy · [2.23.22: T.®ump calls Putain 'genius' & 'savvy' for Ukraine invasion] · the United Nations has released its most recent analysis of world population, which now estimates there will be 700 million fewer people in 2100, 6 per cent less than anticipated a decade ago · RNC booth hosts AR-15 giveaway, days after T.®ump assassination attempt · scammers will pounce on global outage caused by CrowdStrike bug, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil warns · International Court of Justice rules Israel's presence in occupied Palestinian territories in Gaza, the West Bank, & East Jerusalem is illegal & should end.

wednesday newstrip

Intense winter storm to bring heavy rain, gales, bitter cold, & snow to eastern Australia · report reveals 100,000 Melbourne homes were vacant in 2023 in the midst of a "housing crisis" · JoeKing BidenMyTime reassures supporters 'I'm OK' as Democrats remain split over US election prospects & JKBMT continues on with gaffe after gaffe · DoNuts T.®ump has brutally mocked JKBMT after the President’s gaffe-ridden day at the NATO Summit in Washington · Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter case dismissed in middle of trial & cannot be filed again · T.®ump's critics point out that many psychiatrists believe schadenfreude is a mental illness · Rudely Jeweliani’s bankruptcy case dismissed by NYC judge, clearing way for debt collection & lawsuits · meanwhile, Rudely claims that DoNuts T.®ump owes him about $2 million in unpaid legal fees for helping try to overturn the 2020 election · registered Republican identified as DoNuts T.®ump's potential assassin.

Plaint for the day

I've got gall
stones, kidney
stones, most
every stone

except the
Rolling Stones —
& I'm saving them
for a rainy day.
  

wednesday newstrip

He’s derided as dull but Care (not to) Stammer becomes UK prime minister with a sensational victory · Canberra couple awarded damages after wife awoken by a real estate agent in her bedroom conducting an inspection · 100 feral cats caught in Queenstown Lakes' Rees Valley; group steps up trapping efforts · One Million Checkboxes, a simple online game that invites visitors to click or unclick check boxes, has become an unintentional case study in human behavior · steamy 'Overwatch cabaret club' where you can pay to have women fall asleep on voice chat with you gets obliterated, is immediately replaced by even steamier Apex version · Machete actor Danny Trejo in nasty July 4th brawl after being hit by water balloon.