Tuesday, February 28, 2006

the perfect use of a semicolon

It is billowing like a butterfly; my attention is flying.
Guarantee a snowstorm; go fishing early.
You dreamed you were on a seashore; you are really on a staircase.
The broken thought is finishing; the thought is done.
He could not handle the embrace; he would have cried and shaken.
He cried and shook; his shaking was electric.
I wish for undertones; please understand.
Undertow; under snow.
You dream you are a carefully constructed grammar; you fragment.
Finding his pulse is the hardest part; he used to be faster than seasons.
The thing you search for is here; you search for spiraling punctuation.
Please wait for the children; they are coming.
Help me; I am shaking.
Her secret is downstairs; her downstairs is a clear conversation.
I love him; he is not correct.
Go to the seashore; they are waiting for you there.

3 comments:

Justin Evans said...

This is great!

You are able to give us wonderful imagery while at the same time forcing us to consider the role of the semi-colon. Even better, while I am forced to consider the semi-colon, I don't dwell upon it because the images you give are just that good.

Thank you for posting this

Unknown said...

Thanks, Jusin. I have a feeling this is only the beginning of this "exercise" for me. . .

Scott Glassman said...

i like this too-- has a great sense of discontinuity