At a yard sale Saturday, I bought a copy of the 1970 North Carolina Traffic Law and Highway Safety manual.
Why? Because bored? no.
What better resource from which to create (attempt?) poetry by removing existing words instead of adding them!
Here are some examples. If I don’t get them out of my system now, you’ll be forced to suffer through them for weeks to come.
Each poem is below the page(s) containing the highlighted and crossed-out words.
– . – . –
Page 30
Page 31
The Sixth Rule
The sixth rule raises the question: How far
is “far enough”?
depends
how long will it take?
. . .
you can find the answer
you will travel
out
14 seconds
. . .
suppose
you see another
coming
as you pass
. . .
how much room
travel the distance
in time
it takes
. . .
to be clear
twice as far
or about
two-fifths of a mile
. . .
look and study
pass at speed
faster than speed of being passed
get by
. . .
your passing
might be
unlawful
exactly
. . .
forget about passing
settle down
follow
you may lose
. . .
but
add years
to
your life
– . – . –
Page 54
Page 55
When You Walk
Who is
he is
. . .
who has
you
the other
. . .
before you stop
and look
. . .
before you start
be sure
you get across
. . .
never
cross
. . .
if you know
it is
just about to change
– . – . –
Page 62
Fog
Fog
dangerous
thick
barely
. . .
see beyond the hood
on clear nights, thick fog collects
in small pockets
when you run
. . .
when you have passed through
continue
there will be more
the reason is that
. . .
fog particles act back you see
but not nearly as much
special fog
colored lenses
– . – . –
Page 63
Smoking and Eating
Smoking while driving
is not dangerous
learn to do it
. . .
at night light a cigarette
the flame will blind you
as bright headlights approaching
. . .
ask a passenger to light the cigarette for you
when you finish throw it out the window
it may start a brush or forest fire
. . .
heavy
smoke
all your attention
. . .
it only takes one of your hands
especially
for the beginning driver
– . – . –
