Gertrude Stein's Lost Childhood Poems

I know you are but

what am I? I know you are
but what am I? I
know you are but what am I?
I know you are but what am

I?

*                 *             *

nothingisnothing
isnothingisnothingis
nothingisnothing
isnothingisnothingis
nothingisnothingisno-
thingisnothingis
nothingisnothingisno-
thingisnothingis
nothingisnothingisno-
thingisnothingisnothing
isnothingisno-
thingisnothingisnothing
isnothingisno-
thingisnothingisnothing
isnothingisnothingis

*             *                *

does it bother you

im not touching you so why
does it bother you
does it bother you im not
touching you so why does it
bother you when im
not touching you no im not
im not touching you
not even touching you why

why does it bother you does
it does it bother
you that im not touching you
not touching no im
not im not im not touching
you why does it bother you

*                  *                *

If you love art so
much why don't you marry it
if you love it why
not why not marry art if
you love it so so so much
then marry art yes do
it i dare you to do it if
you love it so much
do it marry it i dare you
to i double dog dare you
to do it if you
love art so much then why not
marry it do it
i dare you i dare you to if
you love art then marry it

*                 *                  *

stop

hitting yourself stop it
stop hating yourself
stop it stop hurting
yourself stop stop
hitting yourself stop
hitting yourself stop
stop hitting yourself stop hit-
ting yourself stop it
stop it stop stop
hitting your-
self stop
stop
stop
stop
stop
stop
stop

*                 *               *

are we there yet? no.

are we there yet? no. are we

there yet? no. are we

there yet? no. are we there yet?