Let’s Rock

Jeremy Stewart

August 8, 1991

FADE IN:

1. EXT. WIND RIVER, WASHINGTON - DAY

On screen it reads:

“1988, WIND RIVER,
DEER MEADOW, WASHINGTON”
somatic mutation
the role somatic mutation plays as a mechanism
change is unknown
the modular and layered
nature of plant
mutations to occur and then be perpetuated
differentiation, heterogeneity within
an individual plant
tree black cottonwood, is
a long-lived
frolic in the wind tunnel
somatic mosaicism within an individual
stem (from the lowest branch)
replicated among
against the reference
shred your hands tremolo picking
make the blood spray in the sound
conclusions
short and long-term scales

ON LIL'S SOUR FACE

VLADIMIR

Lil was wearing a sour face.

ESTRAGON

What do you mean?
TRIP CANCELLED
be contacted
we will travel through
follow the White Salmon upstream
wildfire
affected forest types
we are people for some reason
responses of trees, field measurements
will learn how severity
in tree mortality
measured on the ground
we are already so close
the field
observe the fire
theme in post-disturbance
reinforced
miss places I’ve never been
now free-flowing
people curious about joining
need to dress for a day in the forest
camera, notebook, water
the trip may require walking up one mile
walking on uneven terrain

ON LIL BLINKING BOTH EYES

<> <>

— —

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ON LIL

VLADIMIR (continued)

If you noticed she had one hand in her
pocket which means they are hiding
something, and the other hand made a
fist, which means they are going to be
belligerent.
all writing is automatic
with the
increasing every
day becoming more
made at the intersections of the three shape
who will
without field work
who makes them
this is this or that
how can
emerging
alter cuts
or other
in without without

ON LIL WALKING IN PLACE

VLADIMIR (continued)

Lil was walking in place which means

WE SEE LUCKY PUTTING HIS FINGERS IN FRONT OF HIS FACE AND SAYING LIL
              IS HIS MOTHER’S SISTER'S GIRL.

VLADIMIR (continued)

Lucky said Lil was “his mother's sister's
girl.” What is missing in that sentence?
the Wind River Experimental Forest
has a century
dreamboat
it was who later became the first
Research Station, and who arrived
at Wind River in 1909
referred
in in 1994 in the old-growth forest
to study processes operating
at the interfaces
ground validation
taking place in the old-growth
in the younger stands
Wind River is best known
other tree
western red cedar and Pacific silver
understory
after burns in the late
Oregon-grape, red and big huckleberries, and west
coast rhododendron
grow on the forest floor
beargrass
consciousness is a scam
Northern spotted owls, a threatened species, live in parts
large birds in the forest are goshawks and pileated woodpeckers
winter wrens, creepers, dark-eyed
precipitation occurring as rain or snow

ESTRAGON

Oh, the uncle is missing.

VLADIMIR


ESTRAGON

So the sheriff has got an Uncle who's
committed a serious crime.

ON LIL'S RED WIG

VLADIMIR

Let

me ask you something, Estragon, did you
notice anything about the dress?
join us
restoration
wool swoon
this is the the
woolen
an older city
numerous including
a marked phenology trail
schoolyard restored and numerous
backyard is on our will
chamber music
flora and fauna of the site, identify
collect, provide, and prepare
for use by
expect to use further plans
for continued park and throughout
and other are
landscape level
these small help
experience, this
learning
abendmusik
schoolyard and backyard
greenspaces will be
archived

ESTRAGON

The dress she was wearing had been
altered to fit her. I noticed a different
colored thread where the dress had been
taken in. It wasn't her dress or she
must have lost some weight.

VLADIMIR

Lucky said you were good.

Did you

notice what was pinned to it?

ESTRAGON

A blue rose.

VLADIMIR

Very good, but I can't tell you about that.

ESTRAGON rides along quietly for a while.

Jeremy Stewart won the 2014 Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry for Hidden City (Invisible Publishing). He is also the author of (flood basement (Caitlin Press). His work has appeared in Canadian Literature, Geist, Lemon Hound, Open Letter, and elsewhere. He is a PhD student of English Literature (by distance) at Lancaster University, UK. Stewart lives with his partner and children in unceded SEMYOME/Vancouver, Canada. He once dropped a piano off a building.
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