Michael Palmer > Quotes

“And you Mr. Ground-of-Wheat, Mr. Text, Mr. Is-Was,
can you calculate the ratio between wire and window . . .”
― Michael Palmer

“His memory is perfectly clear

and serves no good, no purpose
at all. He has seen things before

(the fly in the bottle,
the indeterminate will).

Santa Muerte, Saint Death,
we pray to you to swallow our breath.”
― Michael Palmer, Thread

“Passejo

Señor Muerte and I
go out ghostwalking together

How have we not met before
asks the one of the other”
― Michael Palmer, Thread

“Aygi Cycle (4)

Coarse hawthorn
beloved uncle's
memory entwined

among its
gnarled and
armored limbs

copy of
Lolita by
his deathbed”
― Michael Palmer, Thread

“The Classical Study (3)

The Master has forgotten his hat.
Without his hat he cannot fly.
Without his hat his dreams escape
up.

Without his hat he cannot tip
his hat to that woman passing by
whom he remembers
from somewhere, as in a dream,

a room in a dream or maybe a beach,
a beach by the sea,
blindingly white,
hatless, he and she.”
― Michael Palmer, Thread

“His memory is perfectly clear

and serves not good, no purpose
at all. He has seen things before

(the fly in the bottle,
the indeterminate will).

Santa Muerte, Saint Death,
we pray to you to swallow our breath.”
― Michael Palmer, Thread