Rabbits/Hares
VIII.vii. the music ( the ledger ) of the Politeia
ADEIMANTOS: he he ( he tunes his mandolin ),
ha ha ( we joke about a notebook ) ho ho,
( plays chord ) ( a secret one ) ( to hear )
and its the valley of our life ( below,
as philosopher piracy goes down, and O,
dear Βοb, thanks-be for ceding-we Key West.
his fat ones flow the sweet and saltiest
to hear we play both sides against the middle.
we count the verses giants you done best.
but fast, we lose no rest, and we lean left.
his left, her right to be alive, lets dream
horizons long-bow shooting-back the blind-
mans kiss — drew-her, joker, mr — bulls-eye ),
SOKRATES: but around(about) —
ADEIMANTOS: ( and yet, how could we Suzanne V forget?
in pieces raining down, her small blew thing,
who turns Calypso as she lets him go,
from thick and wild and hidden home, hallowed,
we blow her back, no shade, the sweet shes owed.
his chambermaid, but she grows herself a bed,
where her gypsy lays a bump upon his head ),
SOKRATES: ( . . . )
ADEIMANTOS: ( slows it down, tuning Canadienne )
( o blue alert, o dance me to the end,
whose secret chord does mend the pleasing lord.
for every leash, a halleluja. she
whose tower of song-sung-temple waits for me,
who by dark river wept, his craft hunts we
who lost us first — yes, Leonard, lets. )
SOKRATES: ( waits patiently )
ADEIMANTOS: ( for now, for just one more.
to the goat who wouldnt want to hear his name.
endorsed him, and she wont say it again.
salam, Kendrick, from our family to yours.
and to the people of his power, USA:
Black music be, your news, Black life remain. )
SOKRATES: ( waits )
ADEIMANTOS: ( go shoot your mouth off, Cardi B, of course.
and if we die, would you please drive our hearse? )
SOKRATES: ( claps )
ADEIMANTOS: ( in this she trusts ),
by which the fool in us lets go,
he hears
( who listens on his pirate radio ).
SOKRATES: ( waits )
ADEIMANTOS: ( hangs mandolin
carefully on its golden hook )
but did he ever try to voice the whale?
SOKRATES: but around( about )the truthful( trusty,
genuine, unconcealing )helmsman,
τοῦ δὲ ἀληθινοῦ κυβερνήτου πέρι
ADEIMANTOS: and his secrets ( we supposedly keep )
( but maybe also spill ) ( but might get whimsically
wrong ) being but a mannish boy
who navigates the Muddy Waters of
her as-yet unheard song,
on her as-yet un-practiced instrument,
( who never played mandolin before ),
SOKRATES: but not hearing( not giving-ear to,
not perceiving, not feeling, not understanding ),
μηδ᾽ ἐπαΐοντες,
ADEIMANTOS: her music,
we wouldnt be hearing her at all.
( the music of the Politeia —
were slingin it, Eva, hot to go )
( but the best friend of her mans best friend
says thanks for all the great cake, Joe ),
but he hears ( a ledger being appended )
and something sounds a heavy
and ponderous tome ( inhales )
( sea breeze ),
SOKRATES: that necessity( force-restraint ),
( to-for-by )himself,
be made the care( concern, attention )( commission or charge )
( zealous pursuit )( of cares )( bestowed ),
of the in-itself,
ὅτι ἀνάγκη αὐτῷ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ποιεῖσθαι ἐνιαυτοῦ
ADEIMANTOS: necessity of the “eni-auto”,
the in-itself ( maybe his image of
the good, the sun ),
( he-being teachers pet ),
and therefore ( he he ) boy of the —
SOKRATES: year(anniversary, lapse
of a year, expiry of a year, any long period
of time, cycle, period,
ADEIMANTOS: of however long it takes,
he ( we-being ) ( man-child of the year ) listens
for the ties that bind him round( about )her all,
her instrument, her lines and how we pull,
how work of shoulders hoist the mainsail, tall,
and how to catch the wind, her nicer angles,
SOKRATES: and( indeed the )seasons,
and( indeed the )sky and( indeed the )stars,
and( indeed the )winds and( indeed )all the( things
that )belong to the art( skill-craft ),
καὶ ὡρῶν καὶ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἄστρων καὶ πνευμάτων
καὶ πάντων τῶν τῇ τέχνῃ προσηκόντων,
ADEIMANTOS: and every time a fact falls
in my lap ( o book of song ),
in our ships log ( o mighty ledger )
he takes it down ( our songset ),
( we-being her quality
self-entertainment ),
SOKRATES: if( it )s destined( it was destined )( your
its destiny )( to-by-for )( we-being )( if its to be ),
fit-for-rule( command, office, dominant, sovereign,
principal, primary, original, first ruler
)of the( temple-dwelling )ship,
εἰ μέλλει τῷ ὄντι νεὼς ἀρχικὸς ἔσεσθαι,
ADEIMANTOS: but he wished it on the dog star,
( and now we feel like starting one ),
( she-being true treasure ) arrgh,
SOKRATES: but in order, ( o )steering-dyad,
that( he )( will )( would steer ),
( you will pilot )( the steering-dyad )
( to-by-for the steering ),
ὅπως δὲ κυβερνήσει (488ε)
ADEIMANTOS: if he takes the helm,
and lets the ships log ( the pink one ) ( his
true colors ) show,
SOKRATES: whether( some )they( body )would want( it ),
ἐάντε τινες βούλωνται
ADEIMANTOS: ( of course ) they do
to-for-by the ship ( who among us
could refuse ) ( even you ),
SOKRATES: or not,
ἐάντε μή,
ADEIMANTOS: but he-me doesnt get to choose,
( watch him play the victim now ) ( lol ),
( but he could hear the hounds of love
baying, and all the way from there,
he could hear the lowing of a bull,
was living through the kick inside ),
only it wouldnt be cold facts,
( for he is not a weatherman
but his bride lies with the land ),
SOKRATES: ( them )supposing neither( the )art
( craft-skill )of this, nor( the )care( practice-
exercise )( dyad-were-caring )to be possible
to take( grasp-seize-understand ),
μήτε τέχνην τούτου
μήτε μελέτην οἰόμενοι δυνατὸν εἶναι λαβεῖν ἅμα
ADEIMANTOS: he follows her feeling
and writes it down the best he can?
not big things, at least ( not always ),
( but little things weve gathered )
( having seen or overheard ) like,
the captured rabbit eyes a briarpatch.
the rooster crows before the dawn.
( o brave new world, we-being braver hears
yet easier through her vernaculars.
ah, bunny-like, we grow vernaculears.
as anyone who lives with roosters knows
how ear-piercing their constant crows — here,
arrgh. but still, easier to endure by far
than a constant scroll of other-mens news,
of other-mens war,
of other-mens yelling at her
the who and how and what shes for )
for the rooster crows before he understands
( we-being her own martial art,
and hers must be Achilles-like,
as without hers, all his must die )
that without hers, all his must die.
( so she sits in contemplation of his dyad-
sacrifice, the cock. it may be this
he meant it for. herself, still flanked
by Ajaxes, tough chickens, silencers
for Asklepios, the Red, the Black,
the Wall of the Achaians
of her mind ),
but in his mind, her gatherings feel
too huge ( leading to dizziness, sea-
sicknesss, falling overboard,
falling asleep, etc ),
SOKRATES: and( indeed )at the same time the steering-craft,
καὶ τὴν κυβερνητικήν.
ADEIMANTOS: but this be
( that make you smile? )
( that make me smile )
what he listens for,
SOKRATES: ( as given )becomings( being-born )
of these sorts( there was need )( it stands in-need-of )
( stand-in-need, you! )( bind, you! )
( it was binding )( to-by-for dyad-Zeus ),
around(about)the ship,
τοιούτων δὴ περὶ τὰς ναῦς γιγνομένων
ADEIMANTOS: good sailing. got it.
( and things ) like how he knows
so much about me, what a trip. mind me,
that plums sometimes will ripen more, left
to sit on a sunny windowsill. and it may
be personal preference, but if too tart,
try baking me in a pastry shell.
( we dont need to write down ),
( we-being generosity itself,
possibly ),
SOKRATES: as the truly( unconcealedly )steer-crafter,
τὸν ὡς ἀληθῶς κυβερνητικὸν
ADEIMANTOS: ( to remember ) dragon meat —
tough to digest,
( laugh, yall )
and indeed,
SOKRATES: ( you )would not lead( carry-bring-
fetch )( to-by-for )( we )being( being ),
οὐχ ἡγῇ ἂν τῷ ὄντι
ADEIMANTOS: and indeed, by any ship,
he never writes ( a book of everything
we know about you ) ( you-being very
very big ) lol ( you-being stranger from afar ),
( yet we can write things about him,
like how in love with her he is,
that hes such a tree-hugger,
and a truffle-hunter too,
o battle-cry of butterflies,
o Oceanic tresses,
o starry sky,
her skin ),
SOKRATES: and( indeed )( while being beauty- )called by them
( a )star-gazer,
ADEIMANTOS: ( theres nothing bad about that ),
but whats a meteoroskopy, and do ( we )i( being )
really want to go through with it?
SOKRATES: and(an)idle-talker(prater-babbler-on),
ADEIMANTOS: me me me meee,
( when he should be listening to we ),
SOKRATES: and( indeed )useless( unprofitable, unserviceable ),
μετεωροσκόπον (489α) τε καὶ ἀδολέσχην καὶ ἄχρηστόν σφισι καλεῖσθαι
ADEIMANTOS: ( putting on his shadow-puppet show ),
for all to see,
SOKRATES: by( from-under )the sailors in ships thus thoroughly-equipped
( constructed, framed, maintained, proved, fabricated,
trumped-up, with actual trumpets,
ADEIMANTOS: not imitation ones,
( she-being enjoys jazz ) ( and now you know )
and does he really want to learn trombone . . .
SOKRATES: prepared-for-purpose )
( having got his asses ready),
ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν ταῖς οὕτω κατεσκευασμέναις ναυσὶ πλωτήρων;
ADEIMANTOS: his ass to represent
( dodges tomatoes )
//
from Republic VI
VIII.vi. spilling secrets ( how we wrestle )
ADEIMANTOS: because ( we love ) my daddy,
of course hes still together.
whole o whole,
he would be whole,
( we would be whole ) ( Hole ),
but he would be much better that way,
once she handled his translation,
SOKRATES: but(the)(standing-in-need-of)(binding-
fettering-tying)selves,
(to-by-for)the shipowner always himself,
(would be)pouring-crowding-around(himself)
(the standing-in-need-of)(binding-fettering-tying-himselves),
αὐτοὺς δὲ ( αὐτῷ ἀεὶ τῷ (488ξ) ναυκλήρῳ ) περικεχύσθαι δεομένους
ADEIMANTOS: and indeed, honey ( frowning
at an obsolete many ) judging by these,
( this we should keep to myself ) he draws
that kind of man ( not to mention all
the textbook ) ( textbooks )
( eyes blur ),
SOKRATES: and(indeed)all(are)making-and-doing
(poetries)so that the rudder would turn-over
(if you entrusted)(you will be left-to)(given-
up, yield)to-for-by-them,
καὶ πάντα ποιοῦντας ὅπως ἂν σφίσι τὸ πηδάλιον ἐπιτρέψῃ,
ADEIMANTOS: but she, at least, was already entrusted
( we think once ) to them, to be para-diced
on the big-bad wave-slicin sea-wolf,
( not good pirates ),
SOKRATES: but sometimes if( they )dont persuade
( to-by-for persuasion ),
ἐνίοτε δ᾽ ἂν μὴ πείθωσιν
ADEIMANTOS: at least dyad-( twice ),
then they stop being so dyad-nice,
( we-being more generous
we let you guess how many tries ),
SOKRATES: but still others(o others do)more,
(implicit flock of sheep)(implicit tress of hair),
ἀλλὰ ἄλλοι μᾶλλον,
ADEIMANTOS: and ( many times ) she paid that price
( unspeakable ) as a result of which
then-and-there ( we-being sides with
herself, refusing his delivery ),
SOKRATES: even killing the others or throwing(them)out of the ship,
τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ἢ ἀποκτεινύντας ἢ ἐκβάλλοντας ἐκ τῆς νεώς,
ADEIMANTOS: but to save his Politeia formidable,
( the quiet hopes and ugly thoughts ),
its famously not a funny trip,
SOKRATES: but(they), binding-hand-and-foot
the well-becoming(well-begetting)shipowner,
(to-by-for)mandrake or strong-drink
(you sit among)(you would let-go)
or by some other(thing), (they)rule
the(temple-dwellings)(using)(experiencing)(oracle-
proclaimings)of(the)ship(to-by-for)being-in —
τὸν δὲ γενναῖον ναύκληρον μανδραγόρᾳ
ἢ μέθῃ ἤ τινι ἄλλῳ συμποδίσαντας
τῆς νεὼς ἄρχειν χρωμένους τοῖς ἐνοῦσι,
ADEIMANTOS: ( laughs ) did nobody realize
he was just bridling Heraclite? tois enousi,
to-by-for being-in( ships ), horses transparently,
( the rosy dreams and constant fears ) to-by-
for being-in ( the cleverest ) nous ( noose )
( ha ha ) whars me rum ( just kidding
about the noose ) ( says a rabbit
or a hare ),
SOKRATES: and(indeed)those, drinking and(indeed)feasting-
and-being-entertained(more),
ADEIMANTOS: true ( we-being ) pirates dont eat rabbits
or hares ( but we-being our own entertainment ),
SOKRATES: (they)sail the sea
as the(image)likeness(of)such as these,
καὶ πίνοντάς τε καὶ εὐωχουμένους πλεῖν ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς τοὺς τοιούτους,
ADEIMANTOS: ( we may be bunny pirates )
but those not-good pirates
( we keep spilling them )
that poetry-not( to-by-for )( we slip
the noose )-( the noose slips we ),
SOKRATES: but(those), praising-commending(nous)
toward(against)these,
πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἐπαινοῦντας (488δ)
ADEIMANTOS: but clown-fish ( the secrets
that scare me ) in pretty glass bowls
just make me laugh, or fighting fish-( the maskmaker
likes those . . . but we can go swimming,
we can even breathe underwater,
true story. on Adventuress,
the first thing they-we did,
as women at the helm, yes really,
was share what superpower
each we-her would choose
and why ) ( well, this
being why ),
SOKRATES: and(indeed)even(beauty-)calling(things)ship-things
and(indeed kubernetikos)steering-skill
and(indeed)knowing(standing-upon)(claiming knowledge
of)things according(through the)sea,
ναυτικὸν μὲν καλοῦντας καὶ κυβερνητικὸν
καὶ ἐπιστάμενον τὰ κατὰ ναῦν,
ADEIMANTOS: well thats plain bonkers. isnt he?
how could a mortal man stand on the water?
but can he even ride a horse ( it takes that barely
to hear the sea ) let alone keep a chariot seat?
( and she doesnt spill me ) ( not yet at least )
( and youre still there ) ( so maybe we
such as ship-things could be . . . )
and this may be what jihad means
for he,
SOKRATES: (would)he(who be)terrible(fearful-danger-suffering-horror-
awe-illegal-terror-arbitrary-wondrous-marvellously-
strong-powerful-strange-clever-skillful-one),
would(he)gather-together(seize,
take with him, carry-off)?
ὃς ἂν συλλαμβάνειν δεινὸς ᾖ
ADEIMANTOS: as long as he has-and-holds,
as ( listening ) ( to we-being ) ( were ) his law,
( we keep our inner-making-out
of hors-oars-ears-orses,
secrets to the sea
like mermaid queens
with feisty tridents
like Durgas weapon
and with her tongue sticking out,
as the girls in Penestanan always carry her
for Ogoh-Ogoh ) ( its a festival
amazing to behold ),
SOKRATES: so that(they would)be first and rule
(they will rule)(by-will-being-ruling)or persuading
or constraining the shipowner,
ᾖ ὅπως ἄρξουσιν ἢ πείθοντες ἢ βιαζόμενοι τὸν ναύκληρον,
ADEIMANTOS: that sounds like a dangerous
man-being-( puts on reading glasses )-job.
but ( we-being ) ( not scared ) of him ( hes just
a plushie ) ( nur other daddy-men ) ( nar whale
she sophist be ) ( sea-walking daughter
of a dancer ) ( she-pirate ) indeed,
SOKRATES: but(those who are)not such as this,
(they are)blaming as useless(unprofitable,
unserviceable),
τὸν δὲ μὴ τοιοῦτον ψέγοντας ὡς ἄχρηστον,
ADEIMANTOS: and indeed ( we )i( being ) wonder.
whether those curs would blame the solid stance
of irony, to walk her proffered plank
( even for a little wrestle ) ( tee hee )
seeing-( a naked woman )-we.
naked is how we wrestle
on the Politeia.
//
from Republic VI
as the tombstone of a dead president
oh sally, oh sally
its always been you
youve always been my one
let me sign that draft
with autopen, in-de-pen-
dence dec-la-ray-shun
did even tender roses
launder their senses
inside the wicker fences
at monticello
//
and (he) Chaerephon(you
summoned)ing me
what to you
appears t(he) young man
(he) was saying
O Socrates
(is he) not handsome (?)
154ξ
καὶ ὁ Χαιρεφῶν
καλέσας με
τί σοι
φαίνεται ὁ νεανίσκος
ἔφη
ὦ Σώκρατες
οὐκ εὐπρόσωπος
oligen orgen skips through the giant step
serious ontology
is fan service. you who are about
to read, please understand. he will be born
the dirtiest ever poem — a thrusting savior
delivering so many ins and outs.
our she-body-battle is hare to meet Rocky.
his being a-lie-high-hive — abs flashing
in gold lamé underwear — running
mascara like horses. out-of-bounds
kissing, destination sen-
sa-si
//
O Socrates —
which i was —
as he says
how do you thrust into —
were you saved from out of the battle?
// 153β
//
camp army camp
wild rabbit habit gone wild
and Chaerephon
being just such a maniac —
you leap up — leaping — jumping — springing forth
out from the center of a lute, vibrato —
out from your tightrope string —
out from her thorny mean —
both (of you) in the (briarpatch) habit —
and he is shining —
and he runs toward me, like a hare —
and of me —
as my most inexhaustible lover —
he takes hold — of
my hand —
// 153β
Χαιρεφῶν δέ
ἅτε καὶ μανικὸς ὤν
ἀναπηδήσας
ἐκ μέσων
ἔθει πρός με
καί μου
λαβόμενος τῆς χειρός
//
shall we
go
down
to the oracle
again