I want to heave the beams of a house where I will keep a garden and goats and and all of you safe, because even though all of you aren't yet born I love you, desperately, and lay awake at nights wondering whether this is the place for you at all. Because the world is harsh and dirty and cruel and you're so unafraid of all that because you don't know how badly they can break someone and how carelessly they will do so. It's easy to trip on the front path and skin your knee, but that's just the beginning of deeper and less fleshy betrayals of your trust to come. I can't change that about the world, though, or at least I can't change it in whole so I want to build our own secluded kingdom in pillow forts and rough-hewn hardwood, and I'll hang wind chimes on the porch and sing you to sleep each night over a snack of apple slices and keep fresh books on the shelves so that even on rainy days we won't be walled in. But I'm walled in now, with this and this and reluctance to forgo dreams that aren't my own. Until I find someone, anyway. Because I think we share this dream, and that's really all it takes.

your place

It is with the dry, crumbly red-tint loam
in summer shadows
beneath the decades old yellow bells
where their arms arch into a tangled ceiling
of branch and blossom and sunbeam.

I brought the war, by Callista Womick

Repost from tiltfactor:

The following is a response, or perhaps companion, piece to Olia Lialina’s My Boyfriend Came Back from the War. 

---

I didn’t go- none of us did.
They thought we went, but we didn’t. 

Here. 

We were here.
They didn’t think so, so they screamed at us
and shot at us
and wanted us to die.
“Maluus zebr” they said about
each of us in turn. 

But here it is, I still have it. 

And this- see the dust
still caked into the fibers?
I shouldn’t have it, they have rules about trophies,
but this is from when we were bombed
out of bed-
well, I wasn’t in bed. 

I couldn’t sleep, so I was bare and wet
in the cement shower house.
I knew I was going to die.
I sobbed under one of those
crummy metal sinks, waiting for the walls to cave in
on me or a mortar to drop into
my lap or my crazy heart to just explode. 

But they didn’t and it didn’t and it didn’t,
but maybe I still did. Die. I feel dead.
I’m not a man anymore. 

Please don’t look like that.
I don’t mind.
I’m good at what I do.
I’m a killing machine.
I’m a god. 

This is what they make of us, and they’re damn good at it.
I was in basic with this
scrawny, nerdy wimp from
Minnesota.
Ethan. Ethan Brown.
Most boring-ass name ever.
He’s a sniper now.
He could hit you right between the eyes-
equal distance from each-
from 2000 meters.
You wouldn’t hear a thing,
and then you’d be dead.
How about that scrawny nerd from Minnesota? 

Babe, don’t cry. 

Yes, I like your dress.
But you know I like green on you
so much better. 

White, hell, I don’t know how tokeep anything white. 

I would touch you,
but you look so beautiful.
My hands are dirty.
Yes, they are. Look at them.
LOOK AT THEM. 

I’m not shouting.
Ok, I’m sorry. Please don’t cry.
The dress is beautiful. 

Then why are you crying? 

…HIM?! 

THEY KNEW?! 

You didn’t write.
I wrote to you. 

No. 

No. 

No. 

…I remember.
I’m not sure than I can, either.
Not since. 

Please don’t ask
me now.
I’m so tired. 

Who knew that the dead slept?
I always imagined we would torment
the world of the living after nightfall.
Who knew that it was the other way around? 

I’m tired.
I’m so tired.
Here, hold me.

Visit the Last Real Net Art Museum for more works inspired by My Boyfriend Came Back from the War.

How to Brush One's Teeth

How to Brush One's Teeth,
Or: A Guide for the Thorough Cleansing of the Ingestive Orifice of Toothed Entities

This guide, hacked and compiled by Callista “Cally!” R. Womick on 8 Jan 2011, is intended for the use and/or amusement of self-aware, physical beings with visual capabilities and/or the capacity to extract and comprehend information from a typed document that would like instruction on the proper methodology for the cleaning of the oral structures known as teeth. The content of this guide is meant to apply solely to the teeth of human beings (Homo sapiens), but identical or similar procedures may be applied also to the teeth of a great many other versions of being.

For the purposes of this guide, the following definitions are to be assumed for all uses of the terms:

dirty:   having developed a noticeable film due to the growth and activity of bacteria; an unpleasant odor may also be present
grip: to hold firmly, but not so firmly as to cause damage to either the subject or object of gripping.
problem: a situation innately negative and/or capable of producing negative or undesirable results. To mitigate, see solution.
proximate: within arm’s reach, as it applies to the individual reach of your own arm(s) or comparable appendages at the ends of which are hands and/or comparable gripping mechanisms.
teeth:   a set of hard structures located in the ingestive orifice of many carbon-based life forms which serve the purpose of biting, rending, and grinding objects intended for ingestion with or without the intention of deriving nutritive benefit.
recognize: to become aware of; to understand; to know.
sink:    a tub, bowl, basin, or other concave structure equipped with a drain at its base and at least one tap capable of producing a variable flow of water, the flow and/or temperature of which is controlled by the use of a knob, button, handle, or other interactive device.
solution: a series of steps, actions, and/or processes intended to negate and/or decrease the effect of a problem.
toothbrush: any one of several variations on a theme of non-organically occurring tools consisting of handles with dimensions of approximately 1.7 x 17.5cm x 1.6cm studded on one surface of one end (usually the surface with the broader face; for a length of approximately 3.5cm) with compact organic or inorganic bristles and generally marketed for mass consumption as such.
toothpaste: any of several variations on a theme on organic and inorganic pastes, creams, gels, and suspensions believed to have properties including but not limited to the whitening of tooth enamel, the eradication of bacteria, the prevention of bacteria, and the elimination of undesirable odor of the mouth and generally marketed for mass consumption as such.

1.      Have an awareness of self as a spiritual, emotional, and/or (at the minimum) physical entity.

2.      Possess teeth.

3.      Possess teeth that are dirty.

a.       If your teeth are not dirty, wait an amount of time between 1 (one) standard hour and 24 (twenty-four) standard hours before reassessing the situation.

4.      Recognize that your teeth are dirty.

5.      Determine that possessing dirty teeth is a problem.

6.      Determine to fix the problem of having dirty teeth.

7.      Be or become aware of the processes involved in brushing teeth.

8.      Determine that brushing your teeth is a solution to the problem of having dirty teeth.

9.      Determine that brushing your teeth is the best available solution to having dirty teeth.
(For alternatives, see How to Lose a Fist Fight, Or: A Guide for Complete Failure in a Situation of One-on-One Combat with Emphasis on Ways in Which to Lose Life and Limb, Chapter 6: How to Take Shots to the Mouth for Maximum Tooth Loss; How to Die, Or: A Guide for Forgoing All One’s Mortal Obligations through the Forfeit of One’s Life; and Lysol: The Only Antibacterial Agent You’ll Ever Need.)

10.  Determine to brush your teeth.

11.  Possess toothpaste and/or (at bare minimum) a toothbrush.  

a.       If a toothbrush is not possessed, acquire one.

12.  If the toothbrush and/or toothpaste are present and proximate in the same temporal and physical plain as you, manipulate your dominant hand or comparable gripping mechanism of choice to enable yourself to physically move the toothbrush and/or toothpaste through time and space.

a.       If you do not possess a hand or comparable gripping mechanism, attempt to locate a conscious, mobile, friendly entity that does and communicate to him/her/it that you need and intend to brush your teeth and inquire as to whether it would be possible to use his/her/its hand or comparable gripping mechanism to do so.

                                                  i.      If you are unable to locate a conscious, mobile, friendly entity, wait until you are able to do so.

                                                ii.      If the located entity does not understand your communication, attempt again within the range of your available modes of communication and a composite time frame equal to the sum of a complete circuit of each mode of attempted communication.

1.      If after the range of time equal to the sum of a complete circuit of each mode of attempted communication successful communication has not been achieved, abandon attempts to communicate with this entity and return to step 12.a, exclusive of the entity with whom it has not been possible to communicate successfully.

                                              iii.      If the located entity understands your communication and assents, proceed through the following steps substituting all references to “your hand or comparable gripping mechanism” with “his/her/its hand or comparable gripping mechanism.”

                                              iv.      If the located entity understands your communication and dissents, return to step 12.a, exclusive of the dissenting entity.

b.      If you possess toothbrush and/or toothpaste but they are not present in the same temporal and physical plain as you, adjust your physical location until this is no longer the case.

                                                  i.      If it is not possible to adjust your physical location at this time, wait until it is possible.

c.       If another physical item precludes the use of your dominate hand (or comparable gripping mechanism of choice) to physically move the toothbrush and/or toothpaste through time and space, substitute another hand or comparable gripping mechanism.

                                                  i.      If another hand or comparable gripping mechanism is not available, discard a preoccupying possession to enable yourself to use either your dominate hand or a comparable gripping mechanism to physically move the toothbrush and/or toothpaste through time and space.

1.      If you are unable to discard a preoccupying possession at this time, wait until you are able to do so.

13.  If necessary, move yourself and the toothbrush and/or toothpaste to a sanitary, non-organic source of running water to which you legally, customarily, and/or circumstantially have access. Ideally, this water source will possess a mechanism for the sanitary and legal disposal of wastewater and possess all the characteristics of a sink.  

14.  Place your toothbrush on the edge of the sink, countertop, or comparable proximate sanitary surface.

15.  Should you possess toothpaste, grip it with your non-dominant hand or comparable gripping mechanism of choice.

a.       If you do not possess toothpaste, move directly to step number 21 (twenty-one).

b.      If the opening of your toothpaste container is regulated with a screw-on cap, grip the cap with your dominant hand and rotate it counter-clockwise until the cap and the container are separated.

                                                  i.      Place the cap on the edge of the sink, countertop, or comparable proximate sanitary surface and proceed to step number 16 (sixteen).

c.       If the opening of your toothpaste container is regulated with a hinged cap, grip the upper section of the hinged mechanism with your non-dominant hand and exert force perpendicular to the line of contact between the two sections of the hinged mechanism upon the protruding section surface which comes into contact with the lower section of the hinged mechanism until the upper section is transformed between -60 (negative sixty) and -90 (negative ninety) degrees.

d.      If the lid of your toothpaste container does not match any of the above-mentioned, refer to the instructions included in its original packaging for guidance in the process of opening the container and dispensing toothpaste.

16.  With your dominate hand or comparable gripping mechanism of choice, grip your toothbrush by the end opposite that from which the bristles protrude, with the handle approximately parallel and the bristles approximately perpendicular to the ground.

17.  Without altering the grading or rotation of your toothbrush, use your dominant hand or comparable gripping mechanism, and all local appendages (and components thereof) necessary for motion, to move it through space along the shortest available path the final destination of which will have its bristles located in approximately the same x- and z- coordinates as the open hole through which the toothpaste container will dispense its contents and approximately 2 (two) centimeters lower than the y-coordinate of the same hole.

18.  With your non-dominant hand or comparable gripping mechanism which holds the toothpaste container, gently squeeze the container (or follow applicable instructions for dispensing toothpaste specific to your individual toothpaste container) until a volume of toothpaste roughly equivalent to that of two standard peas (approximately 0.4cm³ [four tenths of a centimeter cubed]) is expelled.

19.  Move your toothbrush straight upward until the majority of the expelled toothpaste has been transferred from the opening of the toothpaste container to the bristles of the toothbrush.

20.  Place the toothpaste container on the edge of the sink, countertop, or comparable proximate sanitary surface.

21.  Rotate the toothbrush handle 90 (ninety) degrees counterclockwise in the z plane.

22.  Simultaneously curl back your lips and move your dominant hand or comparable gripping mechanism, and all local appendages (and components thereof) necessary for motion, to move your toothbrush through space in the shortest available path the final destination of which will have its bristle end located such that the x- and y-coordinates of your front teeth are approximately equivalent to those of the bristled end of the toothbrush while the z-coordinate is increased by just enough to allow the toothbrush bristles to rest against the ventral surface of your foremost teeth.

23.  Exerting an amount of pressure sufficient to maintain contact between the toothbrush bristles and your teeth but not so great as to cause pain and/or damage to the surrounding soft tissues, manipulate the toothbrush left and right along the x axis in small increments, gradually moving left along the upper row of teeth.

24.  Reverse the directionality of step 23 (twenty-three) to backtrack along the path of already-brushed teeth and visit the semi-section of the upper row of teeth not yet visited.

25.  Open your mouth to allow an approximately 3 (three) inch high gap between the bottoms of your top row of teeth and the tops of your bottom row of teeth.

26.  For each visible plane of tooth surfaces, adjust the location of the toothbrush bristles to perpendicular to the plane and repeat the processes of step 23.

a.       During this process it may occur that an excess amount of saliva accrues; in this event, pause the brushing process to expectorate into the sink or comparable waste water receptacle, then resume the brushing process where it was paused.

27.  Once each visible surface of each tooth has been brushed at least once, move your non-dominate hand or comparable gripping mechanism to the knob, button, handle, or other interactive device capable of producing a variable flow of water and manipulate it to produce a stream of water, ideally with a temperature within the range of 40 (forty) and 85 (eighty-five) degrees Fahrenheit.

28.  Move your dominate hand or comparable gripping mechanism to transform the bristle-end of the toothbrush into the flow of water and hold it there until all visible evidence of toothpaste and/or masticated particles have been washed away.

29.  Simultaneously place the toothbrush on the edge of the sink, countertop, or comparable proximate sanitary surface and move your non-dominate hand or comparable gripping mechanism to the knob, button, handle, or other interactive device of producing a variable flow of water and manipulate it to discontinue the stream of water.

30.  Expectorate.

a.       Repeat until the residual flavor and/or texture of the toothpaste in your mouth is barely perceivable.

b.      If necessary, reinstate the flow of water from the sink tap and utilize it to rinse toothpaste residue from your mouth.

31.  If you used toothpaste, grip its container with your non-dominant hand or comparable gripping mechanism of choice.

a.       If you did not use toothpaste, move directly to step number 32 (thirty-two).

b.      If the opening of your toothpaste container is regulated with a screw-on cap, grip the cap with your dominant hand and rotate it clockwise until the cap and the container are rejoined.

c.       If the opening of your toothpaste container is regulated with a hinged cap, exert force perpendicular to the line of contact between the two sections of the hinged mechanism upon the far surface of the section which is capable of motion until the upper and lower sections reconnect and lock into the closed position.

d.      If the lid of your toothpaste container does not match any of the above-mentioned, refer to the instructions included in its original packaging for guidance in the process of closing the container.

32.  Reverse the steps followed to procure your toothbrush and/or toothpaste.

33.  If another entity aided in the process of brushing your teeth, thank him/her/it.

34.  Enjoy.

long last, like eyefire and spin-swimming laughter,
a click-swish click-swish step,

long silence,

like this is what it's like
this is what it's like,

long nights, like "look what you've found
in me, look- thank you."

b@b

December 14, 2011 @ 8:33pm: life is like a penis. simple, soft, straight, relaxed, and hanging freely. then women make it hard.

16 agrees, 14 newsworthies.

February 15, 2011 @ 4:59pm: I was kind of bummed out when I looked at the course guide the other day.. all sorts of WGST classes about what women have done in the past. Then I looked for a class on what men had done and couldn't find one for a while. Fortunately, I realized those classes are just labeled under "History".

45 agrees, 6 disagrees, 42 newsworthies.

March 8, 2011 @ 12:46am: freshman girl hooks up with frat bros to get attention -> guy's heart gets broken -> guy gets jaded, gets realistic about the scene, joins a frat -> starts hooking up with girls without emotional attachment -> the original girl realizes she made mistakes but now it's too late so she reverts back -> the cycle continues...

8 agrees, 10 disagrees, three newsworthies.

March 8, 2011 @ 12:49am: lets try this again: freshman girl hooks up with any guy that is nice to her because she is young and naiive and excited to be in college --> gets emotionally attached --> heart gets broken by some guy that she thought actually liked her --> gets realistic about the scene, joins a sorority, stops hooking up with as many as guys, and talks shit about "those slutty freshmen girls!"

52 agrees, 1 disagree, 18 newsworthies.

June 8, 2011 @ 2:05am: would you send your daughter to dartmouth? a/d

4 agrees, 15 disagrees, 2 newsworthies.

December 25, 2011 @ 11:56pm: Dartmouth men, would you send your son to Dartmouth?

11 agrees, 1 disagree.

Be silent always when you doubt your sense;
And speak, though sure, with seeming diffidence:

---I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope,
For hope would be hope for the wrong thing.
...In my beginning is my end.

Beauty, beauty, beauty, beauty, Silence.

Beauty, beauty, beauty, beauty, beauty, beauty,
beauty, beauty, beauty, beauty, Silence. Hands
and and night and morning
shadows and here and gone and
words and silence. Not to touch
because