although earthworms by Matt Margo

although earthworms Matt Margo

although earthworms

Matt Margo

An excerpt from this book was originally published online as the poem “Password” at Unsure if I will allow my beard to grow for much longer.

Will the light bulbs survive? Will the candy bars survive? Will the white noise of words survive a war declared on signs? — Make Believe, “We’re All Going to Die”

ALTHOUGH earthworms→always ETHEREAL→NEVER seasonal→primordial breakdown→pleasingly

CRACKUP→PREHISTORIC PALE→INCOMPARABLY

diluted→whitening

errant→blackjack

BREATH→ARCTIC

QUADRANGLES→LYING quark→cosmic duckpond→warden’s

SPORTSWOMAN→INTEROCULAR MARKET→FROGMAN’S textured→antelopes

ballad→buzz

DEBUGGED→TRACHEA

INTERCEPTING→VIKINGS

moderating→sociological

FEATS→GOODTEMPERED stockholders→downtrodden UPRISE→UPHILL downfall→artiste’s

EPOCH→COMEDIENNE’S

POSTLUDE→TORTURED ids→widen

WETTED→SMALLTIME

RIGHTER→TOPSOIL bassist→delusional

tedium→pedagogic

doorbell→penthouse DOUBLOON→SNIGGERING

era→droning PUTTY→REMITTED dovecote→paperback

DISCIPLE→RIGHTFUL ventilator→slouching

REVERBERATOR→FEEBLE

neckbands→wasteful

GLORIES→INCOVENIENT intensity→choreographic CHECKOUT→ETHNIC ethics→zenithal ZEPHYRS→PIPE dreams→closed CASKETS→WHENEVER clever→however

HEARTLESS→INNARDS

STREAMLINED→HER

ghost→too

imprinted→streetlamps

NEARBY→SO

EVERYWHERE→DISPLACEMENT REWRITTEN→LACUNA lexicon→dyslexic

chintz→soldierly

rampant→rampage SOAKER→SUPPLEMENTED

DRAGONFLY→EVICTED

VENGEANCE→VIVACIOUSLY SOLIPSISM→CHAPERONING varieties→sweetbread

faraway→sawdust

escorts→irrealist recumbent→summertime

teabags→teetering

CORONARIES→COUNTED

WITHIN→LAMPPOST clots→computably

CALCIFIED→STEALTHIER stipends→immunologically PURCHASED→SIT sickly→unto

URBANITY→RETREATING

further→furthermost

REMOTENESS→VAST topography→spread ACROSS→FEET apart→boarding BUILDING→SOUTHWESTERN BILLIARDS→WISCONSIN line→physical

histones→evergreen

SIZE→LIVING

curriculum→all

household→morning VESSELS→LIVE

outside→confined

ORIGINAL→SECONDHAND

SCHOOL→FINEST students→seventh

TERMINUS→BEHEADED river→later STRAIT→VILLAGE evidence→royal FEATURES→ALMELO age→mail

territories→between

PRODUCT→INFLUENTIAL

PERFORMERS→MEASURING passengers→another

areas→unmet

RATION→CONCERNED

COMMONS→UNIFIED firefighters→work MEMBERS→MERGED bridge→realistic

REGIMENT→VISIBLE influence→market MINIMUM→ALSO stabbed→every BIRTH→MADE obscure→available SPACE→INTENSE release→elimination WITHHELD→WEDNESDAY guard→standard SCREWDRIVER→PASSWORD

confirmed→access

DENIED→DISHES

DROVES→TEARGAS

tyranny→callous

flash→machine

declined→drowsed

KINGDOM→MOTORCYCLE

MUSIC→MONSTROUS

symphonies→raging

CONCERTGOERS→OUTBURSTS

engraved→encased

BOOKWORMS→INTELLECTUAL

entrapment→entropic

INDETERMINACY→CAGED

animals→new

BREEDS→BEING

IMPRESSIONS→UNPARALLELED

unchained→unchanged

WORKING→PROGRESS hellos→disquieted

unfolding→outdoing CREASES→LADEN

BRAINCELLS→WOODEN

blueprints→bluefin

stylists→artists

OTHERS→HURT lummoxes→woolen

BEAUTIES→SUNBATHED

surfaces→scorching

SCRATCHINESS→WHIRLING

wheelies→winding

DOWN→FARTHER

now→deeper

ancient→watermen

SUNKEN→INKWELLS

INTO→ORIGINS

ascribed→invoices

INVEIGHED→THROMBOCYTOPENIA

pending→pensive

POLLUTANT→TROMBONE rhinoceros→writhing REFLEXES→STARVING extremists→triturating

TRIBULATIONS→TUGBOAT

HORSEFLESH→HOGWASH superhighway→getting skies→blanketing

tsunami→supreme

GONE→WAY

landscapes→snowcapped

of→earthly

UP→UNDERNEATH

vendettas→pulchritudinous

CONSTRUCTS→COMPELLING

VESUVIUS→ENVISIONED

DREAMSCAPES→DRIVING

portraits→imaginary interludes→intertwined

PREPARATIONS→PUNCHBOWL PRIMITIVITY→INESCAPABLE BREAKTHROUGH→HEARTBROKEN IMPLIED→EVERYDAY

SERENDIPITY→SERENE

lost→lit

ANKLES→PANCREATIC

PANGAEA→REUNION

phantasies→starstruck

animus→annulled

toxicity→awakened crucifixion→biophysical goodbyes→goodwill AKIMBO→SKYJACKERS

dive→die HARDEST→HARDTACK stiffens→somewhere SILENT→NOVELS annotated→occupying

UNDERBELLIES→CRUSADED

SURFACES→MADDENING candles→workweek

circuses→somber

crutches→clutching

CALENDARS→BURNING

NIGHTSPOTS→LOUDMOUTHED

ladders→jaundiced

BREADWINNERS→STARTING point→finishing LINE→LEFT alive→dead INSIDE→OUTSIDE expectations→greater THAN→ANY homeland→household MERCHANT→WIZARDLY pacifier→passive

wordsmith→inconclusive

CAVALIER→SHARPENED

ERASURE→AMPLE

at→all

ENDS→WELL

water→gaping MOUTHS→RECALLING remnants→ruins REBORN→GLYPHS deciphered→tongues PERILS→AILMENTS

UNKNOTTED→DETAILS alphabetized→dismembered

abound→ammunition DEPRAVITY→WHEELHOUSE

SHOPS→SHOTS tumblers→blogging

equalling→paltry MASSES→MALICE fired→dazzling GIANTS→SMOKING

tantrums→fever

DREAM→DEFROSTED

dumbfounding→noontime

TWITCHING→TARSALS

aching→metatarsals

CRACKING→KNUCKLEDUSTERS busting→bleeding SKULLS→CODDLED campaigns→varsity

PARADISES→WELCOME

THANKSGIVING→HAPPILY

homeless→blockbuster

STARCRAFT→DEMONOLOGY INSINUATIONS→LEADING blackout→grandiose

devolved→slight nations→culling

GOSSIP→VIDEOTAPE

PITCH→BLACKENED REINSTATED→REHABILITATED WEAKLINGS→STRUGGLING OUTWARD→WEATHERWORN

nowhere→joyful

CULLED→SOAPBOX precipitation→nocturnal nourishment→namesakes homesteads→hawkish daily→scouting weightlifters→birthing

BEDBUGS→EXPRESSIONLESS faces→foulmouthed DENTISTS→LEARNED

locksmiths→linear

OPERANDS→AMPERSANDS

handwritten→symbols

SANS→SERIFS reran→idiomatic SPACES→AXIOMATIC canyons→colored CRAYONS→SHORTHAND

brands→eminent

REDEEMER→MOTHERFUCKER GODSPEED→EMPEROR fixation→futuristic

antibody→entity

obtunded→granted ANNIHILATED→SPHERICAL

APPROBATION→ANYMORE

CHOIRS→COUNTING

capillaries→actions

drawn→dithering

CONFIGURED→CAULDRONS

DIPHTHONGS→PALLID

NEGLIGENCE→NIGHTTIME

endlessly→limber RECKLESSNESS→ONLY

hands→cornfield prayers→palms

TOGETHER→TAUTOLOGICAL HYMNALS→PERIWINKLE

informal→hydrochloric

cornflowers→befallen

AIRPLAY→RADIO

altarpieces→tetrametric HOLLIES→HOPING safehaven→forgotten revolutions→dreamlike

TRANSGRESSIONS→FROM centuries→long EVAPORATED→PANGOLIN EXHALES→KISSING

pretenses→overkill

curls→dumbbell

SITUATIONISM→INTERRUPTED

individualism→blustery

BLIZZARD→WHITEWASHED canvas→broken LEVEE→CONCENTRATED decadence→energy EXTRACTED→SYNERGIZING spectrums→kaleidoscopic RAINBOWS→PRIMROSE

imaginings→ideological

AWAKENINGS→OAKWOOD EPITAPHS→IMMORTAL clattering→ocean’s

processions→predisposed margin→quicksilver

SOUL→MAN’S

WEEPING→UNHEALTHY

vortex→admixed

WISECRACK→CAMEO SUPERCOMPUTER→CONSIDERABLE

appearance→unsightly power→overlooked

OBSOLESCENCE→SUBLIMINAL

fellatio→electromagnetic

MIXUP→DOWNSIZING

components→distributing

PESTICIDES→EASTBOUND lollygagging→scalawags

clouds→coughing

BESPECTACLED→SUNGLASS

STRAITS→OVERFLOWING

confidence→exorcist

DESTINY→MANIFESTATION SHOESTRING→BUDGET

telephoning→secularist

mayhem→morning

SHOESHINE→SUNTAN

RADIANCE→ABOVE

amphibians→ambitious

GREENHOUSE→COWBOY

aesthetics→encounters

UNDERGROUND→GLASSHOUSE

firebombers→freely

MINGLING→INCINERATED

institutions→merciful

DETERIORATION→SADDENING splintered→concepts PEACE→PROTECTED

glow→monster

backpacker→penological

MACHISMO→SIDETRACKED

stratagem→senatorial

SOUNDS→LIKE

sights→falling

REMOVED→PLEASED letting→limpid

BEHIND→DOORWAYS sleep→encouraged SETTINGS→RESTORED

moreover→morphemes

MENDED→GRAMMARS

LINGUISTICS→LEFTOVER

poetics→alighting

revisited→holistic

WORLDS→WINDMILL

hypnosis→airport KINETICS→PINKISH soda→popcorn VOMIT→JURASSIC dehydration→dire

REVITALIZATION→SICKROOM

CURTAINS→PLENTIFUL

blackheads→pimply

surplus→auroral SKIN→SUNRAY

slayer→improvised

CABARET→CABINET

cleanup→porcelain

LIFELINE→MYSTIFIED

downtime→testimonial

INPUT→IMMACULATE

putdowns→presupposed

EULOGIES→LOOMING

LIFEFORMS→DENATURED SANCTUARIES→STOLEN rimming→rounding

meadows→wastelands

proximities→polished limelight→meteorite

MARCH→ROCKETS

RINGSIDES→WATERWHEELS

HOARDING→HOWLING

over→auburn

horses→galloping BARREN→BEYOND

rolling→watchmen GRACEFUL→AMID

photosynthesis→glandular

REPRESENTATIONS→METROPOLITAN IMPASSIONING→AGGRESSIVE score→square

SURF→STADIUM

harmonies→hovering

expeditions→perpetual

rigmarole→unbelievable hype→hologram

BENZ→BELITTLED

RECOVERIES→SUCCEEDED

THYROIDS→THUNDERING songstresses→stressed NOISE→NURSERY

tides→sopping

rhomboids→rustic

SWIMSUITS→SECLUDED

SYLLABLES→SPOKEN rhyme→simplified

distinctions→redesigned

word→whitewater

SYNTAX→DEVOURING

EQUILIBRIUM→EVENING

SHRINE→PROVISIONAL

applauded→then

crop→cakewalk only→integrated

ABANDONED→DESPONDENCY

REAFFIRMED→REPLACED

out→office

interval→insinuated

DISASSEMBLY→DINOSAURIC CONSCIOUSNESS→INVITATION

SCORN→FOUR

ONCE→WHEN

initiated→ambivalence with→workhorse

lacerations→innovative

LAMENTATION→ELABORATE

DEPRECATIONS→DOLLHOUSE politics→national MAXIMS→MAKESHIFT controversies→marigold SUBSTITUTIONS→IRRESISTIBLY imposing→often OFFERED→SUPPOSED

saturation→carbon

riverbanks→ceremonial

FJORDS→ANTIVIOLENT

HILLSIDES→VERDANT curdling→wavelengths MILE→MAIN

SEXUALITY→VIRGINAL snapdragons→deserted

garden→birds

CHIRPING→BLOOD

INTERSECTING→WICKER

attraction→equal

basket→quarter

OPPORTUNITY→OPEN

ended→belated

LOCALE→PROVOCATIVE soundtrack→syndication TOWARD→JELLYFISH tactics→transformative

DISCOURSES→UNAVOIDABLE

STRUCTURES→STARTING

anew→experience

fractals→mobile

AWASH→BATTERING

percussion→invading

PAGINATION→IMPERFECT

future→furthermore

ACTUALIZED→AD

infinitum→vexations

FOREVERMORE→

although earthworms Matt Margo