231. Innumerable Thoughts

in a number
of ways
I am
1

in the least
of ways
I am
O

in the manner
of the expression
I am found out:

1 * 50 * 365 + 8 + 231 = 18,489

I move toward ∞
but never to
it or even close

(I won a bet
that some words
were numbers too
for I ate many
at breakfast.)

18,489 – whatever I’ve forgotten ÷ whatever I’ve made up ≈ 49±

a Pentecost
of memories
(but not
quite 50, so
not quite me)

Life
and poems
are made
out of
counting

the pieces
the lines
the digits
the spaces

I saw
since
a child
myself
as

1 body
1 head
1 nose
(but 2
nostrils)
1 mouth
1 penis
(apologies)
2 eyes
2 ears
2 arms
2 hands
2 legs
2 feet
10 fingers
10 toes

that’s about
as detailed
as a body

might be
broken down
for the pur-

poses of
counting
and making

sure each
piece was
in place

I might
be ≤ well

but I am
≥ productive

I am
wandering
here

in these
words
to you

I am
thinking
not through

but around
a few
thoughts

in the
vicinity
of insight

so I must
admit
to you

that this
letter
≠ a poem

even though
I mean it
to be

for
a poem
without numbers

is a poem
without
meter

or meaning
or structure
or the lack

of structure
that the best
poems have

by being
completely
controlled

by an
unnamed
source

such as
how I am
always 1