Some time between 1529 and 1657, a mysterious character known only as Jo Ben travelled the length and breadth of Orkney, documenting his thoughts and discoveries in a form of diary.

During his exploration, it is likely that Jo Ben came across Orcadians speaking their native tongue and may even give us a corrupted example of Norn when he states:

“…they are cunning and plain speaking, they use dialect, as when we say Good Day, Goodman they say goanda boanda….”

And what is this “form of diary” written by Jo Ben?

OrkneyJar – Examples of Norn

like a flock of starlings

roosting in the trees

quieten them with nightfall

quieten    quieten

2/22/06 Starbucks High Ridge

whiling away time
Sam busy at Richie’s
(bathroom)
I read Ashbery’s Chinese Whispers
a birthday gift from Ralph
gives me a feeling
a sensation
like I’m an old disordered Victorian
which I am
like obsidian
something seen out of the corner of my eye
the “we” recapturing college
the hi-jinks of old friends
like Ashbery could never be an honest I
unsuccessful journaling
a surplus of fish
and other animals of the sea
I’m amused anyway

Today Linda told me
I needed a beatin’
and Elaine needed a beatin’
and Sanjay needed a smack on the back of his head hard enough that his head would hit the desk and snap back and leave a little mark right here …
I felt a little overwhelmed with the violence
of the English school marm
so I pounded a first on the table (I mean a fist)
and I closed the meeting
not wanting to sit around any longer
with Mr. Dithers
we had sat around long enough
we, the left behind
we could have been visiting Tulip Row in Amsterdam
but instead we were in Montvale
taking our beatin’
taking it good
taking it on our booties
sighing in our byootiful booties

the humdrum hum
the hip the hop
the grant the grab
the go of it

A misapprehension, but it seems to be a title.

A title for something I haven’t written yet.

I miss women. Lot of male stuff everywhere. I miss women. I miss their loopy intimacy. I miss their insistence, their little hot houses, their submission. Miss them, like I miss commas. I miss how they strive and fail to engage with ideas. I like their failure especially.

I’m going to try to find a dark spot somewhere.

~Blair speaking of meteor shower