What do you think?
Rate this book
The Cheat of Words
Expanding on the linguistic and political issues addressed in the poet's previous collection, this work forces readers to encounter and negotiate an insistent slippage of meaning. Exploiting language's inherent ability to shift, the poet demonstrates the incessant potential within writing to disturb all drives toward stability. Defiantly nonlyrical, this poetry achieves a neobaroque spirit within its regulatory skepticism.
- GenresPoetry
111 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
7 people want to read
About the author
Steve McCaffery
57 books9 followersSteve McCaffery is the author of over twenty-five books of poetry and criticism. He has twice been awarded the Gertrude Stein Award for innovative poetry and twice shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award. His poems have been published in more than a dozen countries. A long-time resident of Toronto, he is currently the David Gray Professor of Poetry and Letters, University at Buffalo.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 27, 2022
Q. Why does speech breathe?
A. Speech breathes in order that I may diversify a milieu.
Q. Which words are fastest?
A. The ones that reproduce a repertoire.
Q. Which meanings now inaugurate our facts?
A. Those meanings bordering a known legitimated function.
Q. Which function is that?
A. The tendency to dwell between new predicates.
Q. Which systems of signs are slowest?
A. The ones of effect and either way.
Q. Which function erodes?
A. The one of departure.
* * *
The world is a room.
There is a single lump in it.
He sees no reason to postpone
the pleasure of the meal she's stepped beyond.
In the sky above moves history's affinity to comas
and there we rest this brute equality
of pronouns.
Martin says it takes
a 90 watt bulb.
Ann tells him to fuck off.
* * *
There are stars above a piece of soap
someone just happens to have dropped
into a movie.
Day breaks traditional
function of an egg on shoulders
listening for signs to brim
as quiver taking hearts by storm
in celebration of the question stringing out.
Which end gets switched
in an igloo of rats.
The broad river stretches
to avoid this theme.
There is a moon which Kathy tries to reach
but can't
because the edge of her page isn't Yale.
* * *
as a sentence
insists
its own
removal
(or more) (or
more)
(at least)
the desire behind
projection
framed monotonous with
persisten(ce)t
potholes
loops
in cup or
"spoon"
as if
Ruskin brought her
flowers
and held a fan upon
the surface
of the fact as
sitting stupid successfully
[...]
* * *
the interior of the megaphone
emits a weeping
vaginal shutters
and hiccoughs
coughs of tea
painted black.
black in the plark
a nightmare elapsing
some body helps itself
to sex
the tigers close their teeth
with the sign
"glone for the day"
the plark glates
close
with a click
flowers return sex
to their seeds unopened
money
black guarantee as
the megaphone quotes
the Rg Veda
* * *
A flag effects meaning. But somehow
purpose is closed.
Go into the garden through
each dictionary definition of plot.
The key still trembles from
this single ignition. Pathetic
as fallacies, the pains in
the lower back
of politics as fate.
Come to Paris.
The Self meets thought as thought
becomes a thinking other.
Truth
as a neighbourhood.
A. Speech breathes in order that I may diversify a milieu.
Q. Which words are fastest?
A. The ones that reproduce a repertoire.
Q. Which meanings now inaugurate our facts?
A. Those meanings bordering a known legitimated function.
Q. Which function is that?
A. The tendency to dwell between new predicates.
Q. Which systems of signs are slowest?
A. The ones of effect and either way.
Q. Which function erodes?
A. The one of departure.
- Catech(I)ism, pg. 7
* * *
The world is a room.
There is a single lump in it.
He sees no reason to postpone
the pleasure of the meal she's stepped beyond.
In the sky above moves history's affinity to comas
and there we rest this brute equality
of pronouns.
Martin says it takes
a 90 watt bulb.
Ann tells him to fuck off.
- Novel 39, pg. 18
* * *
There are stars above a piece of soap
someone just happens to have dropped
into a movie.
Day breaks traditional
function of an egg on shoulders
listening for signs to brim
as quiver taking hearts by storm
in celebration of the question stringing out.
Which end gets switched
in an igloo of rats.
The broad river stretches
to avoid this theme.
There is a moon which Kathy tries to reach
but can't
because the edge of her page isn't Yale.
- The Date Just Seems, pg. 35
* * *
as a sentence
insists
its own
removal
(or more) (or
more)
(at least)
the desire behind
projection
framed monotonous with
persisten(ce)t
potholes
loops
in cup or
"spoon"
as if
Ruskin brought her
flowers
and held a fan upon
the surface
of the fact as
sitting stupid successfully
[...]
- Learning Lenin, pg. 49-
* * *
the interior of the megaphone
emits a weeping
vaginal shutters
and hiccoughs
coughs of tea
painted black.
black in the plark
a nightmare elapsing
some body helps itself
to sex
the tigers close their teeth
with the sign
"glone for the day"
the plark glates
close
with a click
flowers return sex
to their seeds unopened
money
black guarantee as
the megaphone quotes
the Rg Veda
- Poem One, pg. 65
* * *
A flag effects meaning. But somehow
purpose is closed.
Go into the garden through
each dictionary definition of plot.
The key still trembles from
this single ignition. Pathetic
as fallacies, the pains in
the lower back
of politics as fate.
Come to Paris.
The Self meets thought as thought
becomes a thinking other.
Truth
as a neighbourhood.
- Future Indicative, pg. 106
Displaying 1 of 1 review