Poetry
from We Are Here
we’re facing this way – we came down – we just came from here so this is that – what is that? – this is that and and this is that – oh! – ok wait – what is that? – this is that – am I wrong? I just don’t know! – well, yeah – I thought we were coming from here – we are – but then that would be there then – oh – and this would be that – we did just come over that though, so we must have not gone this way at the right time? – yeah, I don’t remember june beetle bridge mm-mmm, so I guess we came this way – that’s ok, whatever, here we are – this way? this way? – I dunno – this way? – yeah, you’re right, this way – I was forgetting that we were meant to come – the forest is ending – oh, it’s cars.
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so this’ll just tell you where to go – there’s a couple ways to go so we’ll just see what she says – turn left. on. west germantown pike – ok so she’s gonna have you take the turnpike – or she could have you take dekalb – yeah I dunno it would be strange but you could do it – dekalb is a little road, well it’s not a little road but it’s not as big as the turnpike – anyway dekalb, dekalb pike, actually it’s route 202 but around here we call it dekalb – dekalb is one way you could go but I’d say it’s the wrong way so if she has us doing that I don’t know what we’re gonna do – well I guess it doesn’t mean it won’t work it could work you’d just have to take it all the way to the expressway and the turnpike would be faster so I don’t know why she’d say that but we’ll see what she says – turn right. on. swede road – no that’s not right that can’t be right that’s wrong that’s wrong – well should we stop? – that just can’t be right – well which way do you think we should go? – alright I’ll just shut up now – but you seem to know the way maybe you can just tell us how to get there – I’ll tell you what I do know she’s wrong that thing, what she’s saying, that’s wrong – wait but are you sure? – yeah maybe she knows something you don’t – it’s a road that goes nowhere, it just stops do you ever wonder why we never take it? It’s because it doesn’t go anywhere – she told us to turn right on a road that’s essentially a dead end – you know how to go though, don’t you? – yeah, we’ve gone here before all by ourselves – well I’d just as soon see what she says if we can get her to work
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we just came down from here so we are here and this is that and this is that and that whole thing over there? – is this – I’m pretty sure – wait, but I thought we were coming from here – we are - but then that would be there then – oh – o shit, we did just come over something – it could’ve been that though – do we need to go ummm, it would be… there? – mm-hmmm, so I guess we came this way – you wanna try this way? – no, I think we should try your way – I don’t care, I told you I’m always wrong so let’s go this way – yeah sure this way – that looks like there’s a house in the sky
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I wonder if this is the right way – if we don’t see it we’ll make a right on centennial avenue – I wonder if it’s ok – yeah, here – what – is the right way – we can find out – um if we go past – if we don’t see it we can go – we’ll make a right on centennial avenue and come back – well, where would it be if it wasn’t here? – well, it’s here, I just thought it was actually I thought it was facing this street but now that I’m looking – oh, you think it could be back off that way – so it’s not so bad, it’s not like we’re in the wrong part of the town – we may just be a few feet back from this street here – eel grass rehabilitation project – I wonder what eel grass is – I guess it’s in trouble – there’s a sign over there that tells you but you have to walk on the grass to get there – is this eel grass? – I dunno but I don’t want to mess it up just in case – yeah I guess not – so you think this is the street we’re on? – uh, maybe – if it is – wait – we should go this way I think yeah this way – ok
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ok so it looks like the best way is to take a left on 48th – ok good, turn left – turn left – turn left – well it sounded like you were almost there are you turning left – turn left – left – left turn left – did you turn left – why not?
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is that long island – oh that’s connecticut – my google maps has been so slow lately – I think I need to get a new phone – what’s that one – new york state – this one here? – open it – so – um – I guess we just – take this bridge – I mean there’s – I guess we could either go – yeah cuz I just don’t know anything out there so I don’t wanna not know where we’re going or lead us nowhere or end up in some suburban neighborhood – ok so this goes this way we could go up to the bridge – we just need a destination that’s all cuz you know what I mean we’re not gonna just stumble on some nice place to go – exactly – we have to know where we’re going – this is so annoying it won’t load
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what’s the nearest street – well you must be near some street, I mean, you just said you pulled over and I’m guessing that was on a street right so what street are you on – you’re pulled over, right? – ok so look out of the car window – are you looking out the window? – just look out and a little up like to where a street sign would be – ok? – look for a street sign, do you see a street sign? – well there must be one, just look at the nearest corner – are you looking? – do you see a green sign that looks like a street sign? – good, what does it say? – does the sign have numbers or letters – what are the numbers – 64? Hmmm does it say avenue or road or street? – 64th ave – uuhhh – yeah I gotta find that – I’ll figure it out – just let me figure it out – I’m figuring it out don’t worry – I’m looking – don’t worry, you’re gonna be fine, you’ll just have to turn around – I’m telling you I’m looking here and the only thing to do is go back the way you came – well tell him to pull himself together and deal – well you’re gonna have to – I’m looking on the map do you think I’m just making this all up? – there is no good way for me to tell you streets – yes, I am looking and that is how I have deduced that the best way is to get back on the highway – I realize you’re freaking out but its just the highway and there isn’t a very straightforward way to tell you to drive – you don’t want to drive through streets here it’s a very confusing place – you thought the highway was bad? – it’s nothing compared to the side streets – we’re not doing that, no – no – I’m telling you you don’t want to do that I’m looking at the map right now and it is a truly gnarly situation you do not want this I’m telling you seriously
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ok so we’re actually over here – look at that – so somehow we ended up that way, huh? – interesting – so if we keep walking – I guess we’ll hit something – we’ll figure it out right? – should we go up or across or – I don’t know – I don’t care about that house, do you? – not necessarily – whatever you want – let’s go up this way – around here? – ok but we’re not going to that house, though, right, we don’t want that right? – no don’t worry but we have to go by it to go over there – oh ok just checking cuz I have no need for sightseeing shit like that quaint house – yeah, no, we’re passing the house
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I don’t think the bramble is on here – uh oh – ramble – is that it? – that might be it – so if that’s the case then we’re not far – we just added a “b” – we just went by the rink – where’s that I don’t see it – here – oh – so we’re kind of winding in the right direction – is there a method to this madness of the gray line versus the black line? – is the gray a more big thoroughfare or something? – could be – so do you know exactly where we are? – well we’re probably right here – cuz the rink was to our left – oh so we’re probably right here – yeah – so let’s see if we have – maybe right here we could get off by right there – I don’t know what that big black swatch mark is – it doesn’t matter we’re going this way
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in school, we can’t say like – go that way and go that way – we say like – go right or go left – we have to give really straight directions – like, go one block left – and we get them one place to another place to another place – at school we made these buildings that a real city needs – like a hotel a movie theatre and little people – we made a little lego-guy go from the apartment building to the toy store and then go to the hospital – I don’t really know which way is left and right but – you say go right or go straight one block – and he goes – or you could say turn right again – and pretend the toy store is on his right – then he would be there – but the city is made of blocks, not legos
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oh this is the way? – so we’re following green all the way? – well then there’s red – I thought we went that way at some point – we did – can I just look so I know what’s going on? – I think we should intersect red – we’ve been on – we’re – he said there was a – ok so where did we – we’re along like at 5 and 9 – now we’re at 9 we’re just on green – oh – so we’re supposed to stay this way – oh, steps – did blue end somewhere? – oh wait, so blue – is this is the blue too? – yeah, we already left the blue behind – so we’re over here – I’m just trying to figure out why there would be steps – so you think these steps are for us? – and it seems too soon to already hit the red – right, I think that’s definitely right – but I wonder what is this all – we already got off that – this one ends at a nice little look-out though – yeah I’m glad we came here
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so now which way? – we might wanna continue north if we’re – ok so the thing is we were going sideways before – by sideways you mean west? – so if we were going this – if we were going – here’s where we are – wait what where are we? – where, the blue? – yep that blue dot – ok so according to this map then it would be on the other side of that water – I think so maybe yeah – so we wanna keep going – I wish we could walk on that – it looks like a nicer thinner path – well – I can’t tell which way it is – it’s really hard to read paths from the map like – I think we just hafta go in the direction and see if we see a path that we like – right but we’re right here you know so I’m trying to figure out if like – well if we’re right here then that path must be what we’re on – it depends cuz if we’re facing this way then it’s this path – oh I see what you’re saying – yeah so which way are we facing
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you know, when I was looking at this map the other day I thought when we got here it would help us but now that I’m here I’m like this is totally meaningless – lemme see – look at this, can you tell where you are? – umm – are we in the bubblegum playground? – yeah, you wish – part of it is the trails aren’t clear – yeah and this makes it look like everything is really close together or you’re gonna know where you’re headed already but I don’t know the way to the merry-go-round it’s just like a huge field – so when I start just kind of walking out in some vague direction, will I be surprised when I don’t get there? – no, it sounds like you won’t be – there’s a merry-go-round? – apparently but we’ll never get there – let’s try – well where are we now? – here, is this the front or back of the house – is this even this house? – it’s kind of a terrible drawing – yeah it looks like the white house – it really does – I think, so I think that’s the back of the house – and I’m pretty sure that’s the tree here – yeah, I guess that is correct – oh definitely – so it looks like it’s either to the side or maybe out from the front here – ok but it also looks like we should pass some kind of obvious circle out there but there is no circle out there – I think that’s supposed to be more off to the side than it seems here so maybe let’s ignore it – ok, ignore the promise of a clear circle – yeah, it’s not real – or it’s real but I can’t see it
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so are we still on the trail? – yeah – how can you tell – just look around – I am I don’t see any evidence whatsoever we’re on a trail – we are I can see it – ok I’m in your hands then
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it’s searching for the road – the coverage might be kind of slow – I don’t think there’s much out here – it’s kind of hard to escape it these days though – I like that when I want to escape it I just turn it off and put it away – free will baby – right – here it is what’s the name of the town? – it’s beach something – beach lake? – beach lake yeah – but there’s no beach and there’s no lake – cool it’s a poststructuralist town – this is not a beach or a lake – there is a river though – well it’s not on this thing – really? – yeah really – it’s not on there? – like it just isn’t there? – yeah, it’s not showing up on this anywhere I can see – any way I try – maybe Dick Cheney lives there
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this is a puzzle of the united states of america – each piece is a piece of the world of america – it belongs to america – this is cheeseland – this is bull-land – which land is this? – love? – no, iowa i-o-w-a – we live on that little green piece – no, we live in washington dc – no, we live in virginia – no, we live right here – no, here – where’s washington dc? – new york is called the big apple – no, yes! we live in new york city the big apple I know it! – no, smelly apple – smellyapolis – there are pictures of every state that help you find out what the words say but they didn’t help me cuz I don’t know what they say so I make it up – this piece is outer space, mars, because look at the rocket (points to florida) – I’m seeing a tennis racquet – the usa is in outer space! – just get on a rocketship and go! – and then you get out – and you get to go vroom! – we’ll have to have helmets on – I’ll be her puppy – this is news y-o-u reporting from space – there’s jupiter! – there’s the moon! – there’s mars!
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just go the way you came in – ok well I don’t know how I came in – either way seems good to me – it’s the way, this way – toward the water tower – don’t you have gps? – well we broke it on the way here so I guess we’re screwed – yeah we’ll all become nomads
