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By Jack Joseph Smith

Lose Not, Lost Not This dream that runs against the feaver This end of time at the pitch of a dime This child birth absolutely alone This sameness when surrounded This bandit at a small store This holdup in the abstract This weakness in the bones of love This shouting to be left alone This gain of style This loss of manner This courage gone These things we think of Of going up and down, and coming apart

Original Scan

AI Interpretation

GPT

The repeated 'This' lines build a compact litany of exhaustion, isolation, and disintegration.

The poem is almost chant-like. Its force comes from how each phrase piles onto the next until collapse feels structural.

Claude

Lose Not, Lost Not. A litany. A dream running against the fever, end of time at the pitch of a dime, childbirth absolutely alone, sameness when surrounded, a bandit at a small store, holdup in the abstract, weakness in the bones of love, a shouting to be left alone, gain of style, loss of manner, courage gone. Going up and down and coming apart.