TOTT: A Visual Poem 02/04/24.

symbol systems¹ floating through time on and off the page into /|\ heads / | \ computing²... / | \ /___|___\ update && condense; decentralised universe && lit; {NO PLOT} <---> {NO BEGINNING} <---> {NO MIDDLE} <---> or ending; / chaos / / harnessed / / && / / let loose; / /___________________/ god <---> mixed up <---> in the palettes && HERE COMES TROUBLE ________________________|________________________ | | | artist philosophers³ | | | | tale teller tribe scribe | |_______________________|________________________| /|\ / | \ / | \ /___|___\ gathering useful nuggets for the /|\ minds / | \ of the people... / | \ /___|___\ trawling the history for jewels && resonant form; / structure / / / / t0tt / / comes / / in / / as / / structure;⁴ /__________/ as bucky⁵ goes in for structure && form; / an / extension / / of / / content / /__________/ <--- (Olson⁶) [>> NEWS FEED UPDATE <<] : John Sinclair⁷ has died [04/02/2024] / / / he turned me onto charles olson / / which is where that above phrase originates; / / form is but an / extension of content / /___________________/

form is but an extension of content

{TIMESTAMP: 7:30 PM (02/04/24)} -=- {LOCATION: NETWORK NODE⁸}

1. Symbol systems: Referencing the various modes of communication and representation, including language, mathematics, visual arts, and digital code, that humans use to understand and interact with the world.

2. Heads computing: A metaphor for individual minds processing information and contributing to a larger collective intelligence, much like nodes in a distributed network.

3. Artist philosophers: A nod to the figures within the TTOTT lineage who blended artistic and philosophical inquiry, such as Joyce, Nietzsche, and Pound.

4. Structure: Here, it refers to the underlying organization and form of the "Tale of the Tribe" itself, which is presented as a non-linear, decentralized network of ideas.

5. Bucky: Refers to Buckminster Fuller, a visionary architect, designer, and systems theorist known for his geodesic domes and his focus on synergy and comprehensive anticipatory design science.

6. Olson: Charles Olson, an influential American poet whose work emphasized the importance of "projective verse" and the idea that "form is never more than an extension of content."

7. John Sinclair: Poet, activist, and manager of the MC5, a key figure in the counterculture of the 1960s and a strong advocate for the legalization of marijuana.

8. Network Node: A point of connection within a distributed network, symbolizing the individual reader's engagement with the poem and the broader TTOTT network.