The following is an experimental erasure-style poem, formed entirely from fragmented quotes in the 1/3/2022 edition of the Edmonton Journal’s comic section (original at the bottom). All 20 comics are represented in some fashion, though some are more prominent than others, and the COVID pandemic (which was still ongoing at the time) definitely influenced the message of this piece as well.
I’ve been asking the
same questions forever…
Who am I? What do I want?
Let’s see…
My head is still spinning…
Been over this so many times.
Need a minute…
all the time.
I’ll take three dozen,
a zillion hours…
Still can’t find it,
I’m afraid.
…
All this staying at home…
I feel better.
All by myself…
hibernating…
Nice try,
Mr. Innocent.
Wake up.
The most serious crisis;
a crisis of spirit.
Has-been,
past his prime…
Fear of losing years.
It’s hard around here,
in a kennel…
Condemned.
drip drip drip
Uh-oh, coming down…
…
It can be corrected.
You can clean it.
Get it looked at.
You look beat…
Be patient.
Like the last time.
Learn a thing or two,
Mr. Plausible Deniability.
Wake up.
Tyler DeWriter 