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I still hear the Frenchman

In 1857

Man spooled sound

into inky paralysis

and set its form to sheet

In 1887

Two bells cradled wax

and snared pitch

and in 1889

they sold the air

In 1910

the war smashed cylinder

into palpitated disk

In 1915

Forest scribed noise onto lightning

and taught lightning to speak

so the droning of the east might strike the west

And Bell returned

such that our droning

could gladly wash about the earth

until silence fell silent

but I still hear the Frenchman

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