Recently, Rémi and I have been exchanging books. Earlier this year, I received “hmrnu”.
“hmrnu” is a set of four illustrations. each illustration is a square of twelve lines. each line is an alternative sequence of spaces and the letters h, m, r, n, u. all the letters are plotted in a distinctive, sans serif font. every letter is plotted – some overlapping.
reading Rémi Forte’s “hmrnu”, I wrote…
two executives reborn as calves
CALF ONE: room, are you?
CALF TWO: rumour, are you? umm… you, you, you, are you?
CALF ONE: mmhmm…rumen-handed.
—
CALF TWO: are you? are you? haha, hah-hah, rumen.
CALF ONE: you. no, me! you rumen roam.
CALF TWO: hurry; return. now or never — now!
—
CALF ONE: humor, me? are you no one? remind me…
CALF TWO: no human. me, me!
CALF ONE: room me; are, are you numbered? heard.
—
CALF TWO: you hear men; no, urine.
CALF ONE: no men. you are you…umm…numbered.
CALF TWO: nerve, how you undo humming reeds numbly.
—
CALF ONE: …men, no hmm…roots!
CALF TWO: you, you, rumours are you, moon?
CALF ONE: are you humor, rumen?
—
CALF TWO: hands no hands are, are humming hoofs, huh…
CALF ONE: room! you need my you.
CALF TWO: room humming, heard you? reeds, heron returning!
—
CALF ONE: no, no, run! hoof moon. are you numb?
CALF TWO: rumen heard; now, hello me red.
CALF ONE: me, me, rumen — are, are you needed?
—
CALF TWO: room. hide urine here; men need
CALF ONE: hundred — no, more. returning umm…
CALF TWO: numbers, new roots. hurry, huh…
—
CALF ONE: hello! you may never human.
CALF TWO: urgent mirrors, umm…
CALF ONE: roots, roots — your money moon.
—
CALF TWO: rumen-nerved, hello. know yourself? root humming
CALF ONE: huh? remember our numbers…
CALF TWO: you are moon; returning heron, roar home roar home.
—
CALF ONE: no, no, run. names mirror /
CALF TWO: are you numbered? nearing names
CALF ONE: hmm…men numbering roots…
—
CALF TWO: you need many hands. you rumour no hunger red /
CALF ONE: my numbed no — handed names judgement
CALF TWO: umm… numbered renewal. human—you.
—
CALF ONE: hurry ahead your memory.
CALF TWO: homing roots — you urine rumour
CALF ONE: are you me? roots judgement money…
—
CALF TWO: men are men…! run home; no head returns.
CALF ONE: reeds humming home, healing — hearing rooted-moon
CALF TWO: new moss, you are mother: hearing, rearing.
—
CALF ONE: hear robin, rain hunting numb. run. no home — memory…
CALF TWO: men red urine need money home now
CALF ONE: hum numb memory, moss marrow nomad?
—
CALF TWO: roots red — urine mirror; hurry!
CALF ONE: no, head rinsed moonless. need, need hundred-nerved money /
CALF TWO: judgement, umm… naming roots nerves?
— puddlethumb, alex benedict
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