TEXT: LABYRINTH

By Susanne Kass

***************** Hocket ********************

ARETE – ZOE – BOTH

spe–cu–late

ar–ti–cu–late

es–ti–mate

for–mu–late

pro–cre–ate

the–o–rize

hy–poth–e–size

scru–ti–nize

an–a–lyze

scan 

sur-vey

stare

stu-dy

sen-ses

al-ways

at-the-rea-dy

spec–u–late

art–i–cu–late

est–i–mate

form–u–late

pro–cre–ate

the–o–rize

hyp–o–the–size

scru-ti-​nize

an–a–lyze

scan 

sur-vey

stare

stu-dy

sen-ses

always

at-the-rea-dy

Box Duet 

are our problems

statistically probable?

what insights elude

the large language model?

how are hegemonic ideas

filtered by our SO-ME bubbles?

it’s in our culture 

to imitate our neighbours

it’s in our blood

to behave like our brothers (and sisters)

it’s in our nature

to challenge our enemies

but what would we be like

if we weren’t so alike?

mimicking the models

tailing the trendsetters

cloning the clowns

replication over revolution 

where are the vanguards? 

bring forth the pioneers!

let’s learn how they do it

and do it again

differently

because this civilization 

is corrupt to the core

leaders who lie on cue

rich bitches 

pleasing and promoting

tag and gag

self-censorship

moral revolution to combat

moral decay

discard your golden handcuffs

now in the time of monsters

we can’t keep copy-pasting

the status quo

***

decreate yourself

heal yourself of umbilicus mundi syndrome

this body is a vessel 

mediating love and care

see through the feed of lies

brought to you by

despotic leaders

missionaries of ill will

administrators of extractivism

advertisers of overconsumption

weighing so heavily on our minds

manipulating our desires

making us feel so small

antiheroic

let’s look back to the heroes

who gave all their all

copy their good deeds

emulate the true-blue cues

until they rub off on you

fake it till you make it

if you need to!

be bold to change

the structure of the story

turn your attention 

to the spirit within

write a poem of force!

how could your character matter more?

what good could your plot twist bring?

caress chaos

open eyes

open ears

taste ideas

smell sounds

revel in 

random inputs

listen otherwise

vegetal voices

heal nourish

watery wisdom

overflows failure

vivid visions

foretell

primaeval harmonies

await curiosity

sensory

memory 

bank

touch others

feel otherwise

how does it feel?

becoming animal?

sen-sai-tion-al!

observe breath

feel words form

from outside

from inside

voice swells

inside – out

outside – in

eternal exchange

embodied memory

impulses ingrained

listen your way 

here to there

there to here

molecules circulate

in silence 

patterns connect 

extinct connections 

life motifs

link bodies 

entangled 

holistic web 

formed from

flukey situationships

mutual meditation

mirror neurons align!

no empty empathy

your pain is mine

touch grass

carry on caring

in-form your body

rapturous refrains

resound 

hip to the word

serve it send it

TEXT: KALAMA MUSI LILI

by Miika Hyytiäinen (with AIs)

(In toki pona language)

a. ala – alasa (nimi ale mute/NAM)	Not all, a song with all Toki pona words
	[All words of Toki pona words as a nonsense list]
b. tenpo sin (nimi ale mute)	New Era (with all Toki Pona words)
mi open e tenpo sin. jan li toki e ni: ilo sona li kute, li lukin e sitelen, li pali e toki musi.  kulupu jan li alasa e sona; ona li wile e nasin pona, e kalama pona, e sitelen sin.  meli, mije, tonsi, mijomi, jan lili, jan suli li lon poka li musi.  jan li pana e pan, e mani.  mi moku e kili suwi; mi kute e kalama musi.  ale li lon ni: jan li kute, li pali, li tawa, li weka.  mi lukin e luka, e noka, e uta; mi jo e linja, e kiwen, e soko, e selo, e sinpin, e ko, e lupa, e seli, e sike.  akesi, soweli, pipi, kala, waso li lon ma, lon telo, lon sewi, lon anpa, lon monsi.  ona li lukin e pimeja, e walo, e loje, e laso, e kule ante.  kasi, suno, mun, ma li jo e pilin mi.  mi pilin pake, jaki, wawa, lete, iki, kapa, kapesi, kan, kin; mi pilin po anu powe, apeja, pata, peta; mi pilin unpa, nena.  jan nasa li utala, li pakala e len, e lipu, e palisa, e poki, e supa, e tomo.  taso jan sona li toki e ni: ilo li ijo taso, li ken pona anu pakala tan wile jan.  o open e tenpo sin; o awen pona; o lape suwi.  nanpa, ku, pu, sama, kon, kokosila, kijetesantakalu, mu, mute, namako, olin, pasila, seme, epiku, esun, sijelo, moli li kama pona lon toki.  sona li kama wan lon tenpo ni.  lawa li open – lawa li pini.  mi wan, mi tu, mi luka.	I begin a new era. Someone said: a smart device listens, reads text, and produces creative language. The community seeks knowledge: a good path, good sound, and new writing. Women, men, nonbinary people, and people of all ages are nearby, enjoying themselves. People offer bread and money. I eat sweet fruit; I listen to music. All of it is here: people listening, working, leaving, getting rid of. I look at hands, feet, and mouths; I hold string, stone, mushroom, skin, a surface, form, a cavity, warmth, and a sphere. Reptiles, animals, insects, fish, and birds live on land, in water, in the sky, underground, and behind. They see darkness, white, red, blue, and other colours. Plants, sun, moon, and earth hold my feelings. I feel blocked, filthy, powerful, cold — muffled, grey, latent, too; I feel uncertain, ashamed, bound, altered; I feel intimate, embodied. A wild person fights and destroys clothing, documents, sticks, containers, furniture, and a building. The embedded clause is bare. But a wise person says this: a tool is only a thing — it can do good or harm depending on what people want. Begin a new chapter; stay well; sleep soundly. Numbers, dictionaries, books, sameness, spirit, speaking only Toki Pona, the raccoon, animal sounds, quantity, extra flavour, love, ease, questions, greatness, trade, the body, and death — all of these find their goodness in language. Knowledge becomes unified in this moment. the mind opens — the mind closes. I am one, I am two, I am many.
c. kili kala	Fruit or Fish?
lili kili lili kili lili li pali lili li pali li pali lili	Minimini kiwilittle kiwi’s silet greepgreepinglittle
kalakala li kama kala li kama la li kama kala kalama li kama ala pakala kama ala pakalaala pakala ala	fishfish visitsfish visits in its timeIn time, fish visits with minimum riotminimum riotminimum
d. mu (NAM)	Animal sounds, a song with all Toki pona words
soweli li mu waso li mu pipi li mu akesi li mu kala li mu	The creature howlsThe bird chirps.The cricket chirps.The lizard hisses.The fish sings.
e. mejuna nanpa pilin linja alan	Messy threads of feelings
mejuna nanpa pilin linja alanlukin kiwenmonsi nasin tonsi tempoakesi alasa (apeja) epiku (jasima) kalamakapesi kapeken kiljetesantakalu kipisi (kokosila) kulupu lanpanmisikeke monsuta namako palisi pakala pasila pimejasijelo sinpin sitelen soweli utala	The tangled threads of emotions—eyes set in stonepaths cleave through time.A (shameful) chase (is reflected) in the chaos of sounds!A band of thieves (speaks a false language, though “pona” would certainly fit better).The cure for fear: a fragmented self.With body first, fight the cartoon animals.
e. kasi pimeja	Dark Plants
kala li tawa lon kasi pimeja tan pilin lili	The fish swims in a sea of black plants,guided only by a fleeting sensation.