Dana Guthrie Martin and Nathan Moore have just wrapped up Untelling Stories, the first issue of Mutating the Signature, a curated platform for collaboration and mind melding. Working with four hemispheres instead of usual two, the duo’s collaborative efforts are quite amazing (as are their solo efforts).

A personal favorite, from the poem “success factor self-evaluation”:

“Because I didn’t know the cameras were on. 
Because I ran out of pills. 
Nobody would give me more, so I made my own. 
I swallowed erasers.”

You can download the issue as PDF here. It’s a great read and recap of a fantastic undertaking. W.F. Roby and Emily Van Duyne will be curating the next issue.

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The following poem comes from Read Write Poem’s prompt #81 – a picture of some sort of donkey-man looking quite glum sitting under a spindly umbrella. Dana Guthrie Martin, RWP’s resident maven, shared the image, which is brought to us by nwolc.

DONKEY BOY

This is how it feels to be kicked in the heart.

Worst is the hole left behind, and the bubble where ribs bulge back.

Last night, after a long round of such talk,
Sally said I should do a fire walk. I’d feel great,

better than all the therapy that hadn’t cured a thing.

If hot coals didn’t work then nothing would.

Just me and a few smoldered thoughts
with which to cross the threshold.

I’d know everything I needed to know
as soon as I tasted burn at the back of my throat.

Half way I’d see the beauty in the end of things.

How like cures like, what bows wrap shut.

None of which means much atop flame,
oxtail smoking nearby

for later when we’ll eat and tell stories of our lives made of flesh.

The following entry comes courtesy of Alice, a fifth-grade student in SE Portland. I’ve been working with Alice for two years – she’s a heck of a writer and has a great mind.

Below I’ve pasted the original skeletons, followed by Alice’s replies.

It’s ________ __________ “___________ ___________” and it’s ___________ __________ __________ “___________”. This is, __________ it’s _________ ___________ the __________! The _________ ___________ _________ the _________ __________ for __________, which _______, “_______ __________.” This is __________ _________ it is to _____________.

Alice writes:

It’s tomorrow buddy “seven days” and it’s today dear that’s “here”. This is, look it’s Safe Chap the hero! The weird dork from the planet Zuok for $4, which says “Yo dude”. This is how fun it is to dream.

When ______ _________ at ______ _________ of ________ ___________ in the ________ _________. ____________ ___________. I _________, “what are __________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________?” I _________ I’ll __________ a ____________ of _________ ____________. Then I __________ ___________ _____________ to ____________ ___________, I ___________ in ____________.

Alice writes:

When I cry at night love of life springs in the dark well. I’m desperate. I scream “what are you on these bleak lands?” I swear I’ll cry a river of salty tears. Then I sink down slowly to my knees, I struggle in vain.