FROM DICTIONARY FOR BUILDING

-alongside Siah Armajani, Sara Deniz Akant, and Angélica Gorodischer

there so

where built we a city ? : where in the sand there : so : the
yellow sand / brown sand : what planning / none : stairs
from street to street / gray stone walls along the far edge :
arrive stiff-necked / arrive stoned : this city built great /
and promising tribute : the stairs from street to street /
curved / vined : where built we a city ? : in the sand there

too alive

they promised next time would be different : they
promised there would be a next time : different how ? : it’s
vicious stuff / being alive : they promised they promised /
they would stay alive they said : different how ? alive how
? (too alive) : it’s not too late : they can change / but they
have to commit

edge so

where built we the city ? there on the far edge : there the
edge : the far there / the far : the farther away / the edge :
so what so / there : on the green edge so : the blue edge :
until the farther comes closer : the farthest there : the far
edge / near the dappled trees : so there / so there

Timothy Otte (he/they) is the author of the chapbooks Rebound, Restart, Renew, Rebuild, Rejoice (Lithic Press) and 12 from Psalms After Jamme (Furious Beautiful Zines), a mentor with the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop, and writer of an occasional newsletter called Stanza Break that focuses on poetry in translation and books outside of a publicity cycle. Their work has received support from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Loft Literary Center Mentor Series. Otte lives in North Minneapolis and works as a children's bookseller. More at www.timothyotte.com.