Gematria (4): Two Poems, for Allan Kaprow & Tom Phillips

“SEVENTY”: A BIRTHDAY GEMATRIA FOR ALLAN KAPROW

so
I bring him
the wine

& stretch out
in life
howling

like the sand
in my ears

these were
poor
were worn old
& were sore

his life
in your hand
[or] in our hand

trembling
in greatness

so
right
correct

whatsoever

Paris 1997


THREE GEMATRIA, FOR TOM PHILLIPS

[1] Tom = 9 + 1 + 40 = 50

all
the man

his blood
red

a sea
to his hand

in the night


[2] Phillips = 80 + 10 + 30 + 10 + 80 + 60 = 270

evil
displeases

anger
cries out

a stranger
descending

was angry
& hurt

“foreigner
“alien

“tender
“like lambs


[3] Humument = 5 + 6 + 40 + 6 + 40 + 70 + 50 + 9 = 226

you have spoken

according to
its length

spread abroad
& to the side

before our eyes

like so

[Two previously unpublished gematria poems, these will appear later this year in Gematria Complete, to be published by Mariela Griffor’s Marick Press. The process, as elsewhere, is based on a quasi-aleatory system of traditional Hebrew numerology.]