I
Bare trees
no more
hold up
the sky
than they
do impede
the lazy
clouds that
drift by
II
No one notices
the stripped bike
bound and unencumbered
except for
the covetous rain
III
before you can go
feet first
with a new born smile
into the sighing world
let me transfer
this unfiltered longing
this quiet interlude
of love songs to you
I hope that
you will know
what to do with them
when the time comes
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Verse: Breakfast
watch
how night retrieves
the light
of day
like a scavenger
thinks it holds sway
but we
will wait
until it falls asleep
to loose
from its funereal grip
the light of day
see how
the sun
warms your breath,
this quiet room
and reveals
the new flesh
ready and waiting
to be consumed
how night retrieves
the light
of day
like a scavenger
thinks it holds sway
but we
will wait
until it falls asleep
to loose
from its funereal grip
the light of day
see how
the sun
warms your breath,
this quiet room
and reveals
the new flesh
ready and waiting
to be consumed
Friday, February 26, 2010
Verse: Ruminations
I wanted
to be nothing
but I sat still
too long
I began
accumulating
perpectives
habits
and observations
I became something
just waiting
to be
anything
like one word
leads to another
I was
I am and
will be
here and now
one and many
I will
continue on
to whatever is next
knowing
you can escape birth
when you are born
and death
by dying
and yet
I cannot escape
myself
to be nothing
but I sat still
too long
I began
accumulating
perpectives
habits
and observations
I became something
just waiting
to be
anything
like one word
leads to another
I was
I am and
will be
here and now
one and many
I will
continue on
to whatever is next
knowing
you can escape birth
when you are born
and death
by dying
and yet
I cannot escape
myself
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Verse: Do not say I am gone
Please do not say
I am gone
until I go
until I relinquish
this scarred room
this unkempt body
until you cannot
recall the colour
of my voice in morning
until no one
that we know
mentions my name anymore
until you cannot
find me between
the chaos and the calm
I beseech you
please do not say
I am gone
at least not
until I say
goodbye.
I am gone
until I go
until I relinquish
this scarred room
this unkempt body
until you cannot
recall the colour
of my voice in morning
until no one
that we know
mentions my name anymore
until you cannot
find me between
the chaos and the calm
I beseech you
please do not say
I am gone
at least not
until I say
goodbye.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Verse: I Wrote This
(inspired by @downatheel)
I wrote this
several times
to get it right
I wrote this
before I knew
what I was going to say
I wrote this
because no one
asked me to
I wrote this
when you were not here
so I would not distract you
I wrote this
because that blank page
defied me
I wrote this
without thinking
of the consequences
I wrote this
in the morning
when the nightmares abated
I wrote this
with words
I borrowed from someone
I wrote this
because you
would not let me finish
I wrote this
because it was easy
to do
I wrote this
as an exercise
to keep my senses sharp
I wrote this
in black ink, which is
what my voice would look like
I wrote this
rather hastily
just to see these words again
I wrote this
for no one
in particular
and I
wrote this
for you.
I wrote this
several times
to get it right
I wrote this
before I knew
what I was going to say
I wrote this
because no one
asked me to
I wrote this
when you were not here
so I would not distract you
I wrote this
because that blank page
defied me
I wrote this
without thinking
of the consequences
I wrote this
in the morning
when the nightmares abated
I wrote this
with words
I borrowed from someone
I wrote this
because you
would not let me finish
I wrote this
because it was easy
to do
I wrote this
as an exercise
to keep my senses sharp
I wrote this
in black ink, which is
what my voice would look like
I wrote this
rather hastily
just to see these words again
I wrote this
for no one
in particular
and I
wrote this
for you.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Verse: Games
Love I was
before you met me
though it was never
your purpose or name
falling through gravity
I move discreetly
to catch you
in this naked frame
Love you were
before I met you
though it was never
my hope or aim
falling through gravity
the silence ceases
you found your target
I am to blame
before you met me
though it was never
your purpose or name
falling through gravity
I move discreetly
to catch you
in this naked frame
Love you were
before I met you
though it was never
my hope or aim
falling through gravity
the silence ceases
you found your target
I am to blame
Monday, February 22, 2010
Verse: Concession
What does it matter
if I am only loved at night
when all strangers are known
if only by their touch
you know who I am
so this will be fine
only do not let me
succumb so soon
I can always
sleep in your daydreams
if I am only loved at night
when all strangers are known
if only by their touch
you know who I am
so this will be fine
only do not let me
succumb so soon
I can always
sleep in your daydreams
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Verse: The kisses
hard and fast
like rainbows they come
then measured
and mild as a glance
adorned and ornamental
how you glisten
when they
moisten your lips
and cover you
like morning mist
naked and wet
they want only for you
to caress and keep them
warm in your embrace
before they fall
asleep.
like rainbows they come
then measured
and mild as a glance
adorned and ornamental
how you glisten
when they
moisten your lips
and cover you
like morning mist
naked and wet
they want only for you
to caress and keep them
warm in your embrace
before they fall
asleep.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Verse: coyote
Moon dripping
like a scoop
of ice cream
on a cone
and the wind
clucking and
cackling like
a crow do
I gnawed seven
steely stars
right down
to the bone
but they did not
relieve me of
my hunger
for you
heaving with howls
and nursing
the deep wounds
that desire inflicts
as restless as
all the dreams
the nameless night
begins to accrue
let there be
no doubts
this is no myth
and no trick
I have stolen fire
and now burning
I am coming
after you
like a scoop
of ice cream
on a cone
and the wind
clucking and
cackling like
a crow do
I gnawed seven
steely stars
right down
to the bone
but they did not
relieve me of
my hunger
for you
heaving with howls
and nursing
the deep wounds
that desire inflicts
as restless as
all the dreams
the nameless night
begins to accrue
let there be
no doubts
this is no myth
and no trick
I have stolen fire
and now burning
I am coming
after you
Friday, February 19, 2010
Verse: Vein Melter
(apologies to Herbie Hancock for stealing the title of this poem, but I couldn't resist)
Below no hell
you burrow
beneath my skin
coarse, in my vein
like sweet sugar
sweat is
move me to the cusp
of something
I cannot express in word
and I
may lose myself
but I will never forget you
Below no hell
you burrow
beneath my skin
coarse, in my vein
like sweet sugar
sweat is
move me to the cusp
of something
I cannot express in word
and I
may lose myself
but I will never forget you
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Verse: Eyes
Stop looking
for me
your gaze
so intense
how can you
see me
when your eyes
are no longer mine
for I cannot see
myself in them
at least not
as you saw me
and when you close them
everything disappears
even me.
for me
your gaze
so intense
how can you
see me
when your eyes
are no longer mine
for I cannot see
myself in them
at least not
as you saw me
and when you close them
everything disappears
even me.
Verse: Before the fall
How do I
explain love?
it is like speaking
a foreign language
in a distant land
or fine particles
that trickle through
my fingers like sand
or something
that humanizes us
some unknown somehow
ah, but if that is so
were we angels
before we made our vow?
explain love?
it is like speaking
a foreign language
in a distant land
or fine particles
that trickle through
my fingers like sand
or something
that humanizes us
some unknown somehow
ah, but if that is so
were we angels
before we made our vow?
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Verse: The Bargain
Look into my eyes
until you can't see me
whisper in my mouth
until you can't hear me
stroke my arms
until you can't feel me
until I become
nothing at all
or rather
empty
then fill me
with mutiny and treachery
with lust
and love
with whatever
you desire of me
and that is what
I will be
for you
forever
or at least for now
until you go
when I am
myself again
until you can't see me
whisper in my mouth
until you can't hear me
stroke my arms
until you can't feel me
until I become
nothing at all
or rather
empty
then fill me
with mutiny and treachery
with lust
and love
with whatever
you desire of me
and that is what
I will be
for you
forever
or at least for now
until you go
when I am
myself again
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Verse: The Collector
This time
I take every thing
with me
when I go
to sleep
tonight
everything beautiful
your emerald eyes
your elaborate lips
and elegant hands
to ward off
the nightmares
too wild to sleep with
I take them all
with the promise
to put them back
when you need them
just open
my eyes
when you awake
I take every thing
with me
when I go
to sleep
tonight
everything beautiful
your emerald eyes
your elaborate lips
and elegant hands
to ward off
the nightmares
too wild to sleep with
I take them all
with the promise
to put them back
when you need them
just open
my eyes
when you awake
Monday, February 15, 2010
Verse: Dream Letter #2
I begin
on a blank page
of indifference
trying to talk myself
out of waking up
so I don't lose it
get it down before
the outside goes out
goes on
I carry the impossible
the weight of words
as heavy as the minor keys
watch how
it all unfolds
like a disaster
it cannot be helped
some dreams I make
and some I merely borrow
my punishment
is always to wait
for them to arrive
I know you think
this is just
some reverie
look close
and you will see
only my arms are sleeping
my eyes
are wide open
and embracing all
and I am crouched like a cloud
in a forest, crying
for its mother sky
I ask only
that you put your heart
in mine
you'll see
it will fit
it will be fine
only don't finish
the sentence
just yet
pull back the curtains
and the day will be
articulated by the sun
if we are lucky
we will leave no trace
when we are gone
and when we awake
we will be
in love
on a blank page
of indifference
trying to talk myself
out of waking up
so I don't lose it
get it down before
the outside goes out
goes on
I carry the impossible
the weight of words
as heavy as the minor keys
watch how
it all unfolds
like a disaster
it cannot be helped
some dreams I make
and some I merely borrow
my punishment
is always to wait
for them to arrive
I know you think
this is just
some reverie
look close
and you will see
only my arms are sleeping
my eyes
are wide open
and embracing all
and I am crouched like a cloud
in a forest, crying
for its mother sky
I ask only
that you put your heart
in mine
you'll see
it will fit
it will be fine
only don't finish
the sentence
just yet
pull back the curtains
and the day will be
articulated by the sun
if we are lucky
we will leave no trace
when we are gone
and when we awake
we will be
in love
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Title: The Secret Alphabet
(inspired in part by @jdistraction, but also by m'lady)
We have
a secret alphabet
we write letters
to ourselves
a personal discourse
created in haste
cursive, confessional
and discursive
that we hide
in the world
ransom notes
to love held hostage
if you find them
they are yours
if not
it's nothing personal
we will reclaim them
as our own
to fall
under their spell
We have
a secret alphabet
we write letters
to ourselves
a personal discourse
created in haste
cursive, confessional
and discursive
that we hide
in the world
ransom notes
to love held hostage
if you find them
they are yours
if not
it's nothing personal
we will reclaim them
as our own
to fall
under their spell
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Verse for February 13, 2010
I
I went out
gathering pieces
of the sky
for you
until it hid
behind the clouds
ashamed at my folly
I decided to let them go
after all
what would you do
with pieces of the sky?
you were never one
for grand gestures.
II
I know that
if I ever
aproach it
I will stumble
into grace
in that moment
of renewal I will be
standing in nothing
and nowhere will be
my destiny
I went out
gathering pieces
of the sky
for you
until it hid
behind the clouds
ashamed at my folly
I decided to let them go
after all
what would you do
with pieces of the sky?
you were never one
for grand gestures.
II
I know that
if I ever
aproach it
I will stumble
into grace
in that moment
of renewal I will be
standing in nothing
and nowhere will be
my destiny
Friday, February 12, 2010
Verse: Where did the night go?
Where did
the night go?
one moment, it was there
by the window
talking too loud and
drinking in the soft moonlight
the next
gone without goodbye
I made inquiries but
no one has seen it all morning
maybe it lurched off
to the Ardmore for breakfast
crawled into
a ditch somewhere
crashed on someone's couch
to it sleep off
or was swept up
by the pizza vendors closing shop
I don't know
but I suspect
it is crouched
under my bed
waiting only for me
to turn out the light
to close my eyes
before it strikes.
the night go?
one moment, it was there
by the window
talking too loud and
drinking in the soft moonlight
the next
gone without goodbye
I made inquiries but
no one has seen it all morning
maybe it lurched off
to the Ardmore for breakfast
crawled into
a ditch somewhere
crashed on someone's couch
to it sleep off
or was swept up
by the pizza vendors closing shop
I don't know
but I suspect
it is crouched
under my bed
waiting only for me
to turn out the light
to close my eyes
before it strikes.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Verse doodles for February 11, 2010
I
If you
give birth
to the moon
what will you
call it
and where
will you hide it
for others
to discover?
II
In winter
the quiet lake
does not resist
the ice or
its cool blue embrace
III
across the night field
the tiny diamonds sparkle
to the stars' delight
IV
Let me find you
in the morning
in the sleeping bed
let me find you
in the evening
with the stars crowning your head
let me find you
in winter
not lost to the snow
let me find you
in summer
where the late strawberries grow
let me find you
in the fragrance
of a wild red rose
let me find you
in the answers
to the questions that I pose
let me find you
reaching for me
through the swirling fear
let me find you
in this tense world
if you are not already here
If you
give birth
to the moon
what will you
call it
and where
will you hide it
for others
to discover?
II
In winter
the quiet lake
does not resist
the ice or
its cool blue embrace
III
across the night field
the tiny diamonds sparkle
to the stars' delight
IV
Let me find you
in the morning
in the sleeping bed
let me find you
in the evening
with the stars crowning your head
let me find you
in winter
not lost to the snow
let me find you
in summer
where the late strawberries grow
let me find you
in the fragrance
of a wild red rose
let me find you
in the answers
to the questions that I pose
let me find you
reaching for me
through the swirling fear
let me find you
in this tense world
if you are not already here
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Verse doodles for February 10, 2010
I
You who would
embrace loneliness
like a scared child
you must let it go
it does not need
your sympathy
II
Come inside
this old house
filled with empty rooms
and I will sing
your name
in a minor key
III
In this modest room
the night arrives, and I sigh
pregnant with its dreams
IV
Holding my breath
and biting my tongue
lest the fears take shape
and infect everyone
V
investigate your condition
the source of your bliss
you will find it cannot be
arranged or transferred
but you
can be its steward
VI
Snowflakes
fluttering by my window
a reminder
to never sit still
and to never
lose myself in the crowd
VII
I have a mission
what I started long ago
remains unfinished
much like this verse
VIII
For whom
am I expressing
this longing
if you won't claim it?
You who would
embrace loneliness
like a scared child
you must let it go
it does not need
your sympathy
II
Come inside
this old house
filled with empty rooms
and I will sing
your name
in a minor key
III
In this modest room
the night arrives, and I sigh
pregnant with its dreams
IV
Holding my breath
and biting my tongue
lest the fears take shape
and infect everyone
V
investigate your condition
the source of your bliss
you will find it cannot be
arranged or transferred
but you
can be its steward
VI
Snowflakes
fluttering by my window
a reminder
to never sit still
and to never
lose myself in the crowd
VII
I have a mission
what I started long ago
remains unfinished
much like this verse
VIII
For whom
am I expressing
this longing
if you won't claim it?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Verse for February 9, 2010
I
The night, frightened and
hunted by its shadow seeks
refuge in our bed
II
The well-dressed past and
the disheveled future meet
in the naked now
III
You know who I am
I am the old customer
I am accustomed
I come here often
not borne by the wind or snow
but the heat you throw
all that you purvey
your soft skin, your heavy sighs
I mean to consume
drunk on your nectar
now wanting nothing at all
except to serve you
IV
after swallowing
your hot breath
I slip into
the small of your back
cautious and close
as I can come
trying to bridge
the gap
to breach
the meridian
where you begin
and I end
The night, frightened and
hunted by its shadow seeks
refuge in our bed
II
The well-dressed past and
the disheveled future meet
in the naked now
III
You know who I am
I am the old customer
I am accustomed
I come here often
not borne by the wind or snow
but the heat you throw
all that you purvey
your soft skin, your heavy sighs
I mean to consume
drunk on your nectar
now wanting nothing at all
except to serve you
IV
after swallowing
your hot breath
I slip into
the small of your back
cautious and close
as I can come
trying to bridge
the gap
to breach
the meridian
where you begin
and I end
Monday, February 8, 2010
Poetry Blow out for February 8, 2010
I
How ardently your
red lipstick clings to the rim
of your coffee cup
II
Hard bread for breakfast
soup for lunch, rice for dinner
you nourish my soul
III
I ride the slipstream
I make, I do, I go but
I rest in your love
IV
I don't think
heaven is
above your head
it is somewhere
below
it is wherever
your feet fall
V
Writing verse
is a lot like
playing mah jong
it depends upon
the variations
the matches
what you take away
VI
I come to this stage
tugging at souvenirs
I change identities
and often
now a soldier
not a son
now a brother
not a priest
so many roles
and so much to do
today I wake you
with clarion calls
Tomorrow I will inflame and
hang the treasonous
but more even than that
I want this
to take my leave
of you
when I'm done living
your imagined lives
and start living
mine
How ardently your
red lipstick clings to the rim
of your coffee cup
II
Hard bread for breakfast
soup for lunch, rice for dinner
you nourish my soul
III
I ride the slipstream
I make, I do, I go but
I rest in your love
IV
I don't think
heaven is
above your head
it is somewhere
below
it is wherever
your feet fall
V
Writing verse
is a lot like
playing mah jong
it depends upon
the variations
the matches
what you take away
VI
I come to this stage
tugging at souvenirs
I change identities
and often
now a soldier
not a son
now a brother
not a priest
so many roles
and so much to do
today I wake you
with clarion calls
Tomorrow I will inflame and
hang the treasonous
but more even than that
I want this
to take my leave
of you
when I'm done living
your imagined lives
and start living
mine
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Verse: Contemplation
Tethered
and tangled
and covered in mist
our voices are undressed
and echoing like ghosts
in the hallway
sweeping the
fine grain particles
of ash from your
sleeping alabaster skin
tell me
is this what
the darkness is for?
and tangled
and covered in mist
our voices are undressed
and echoing like ghosts
in the hallway
sweeping the
fine grain particles
of ash from your
sleeping alabaster skin
tell me
is this what
the darkness is for?
Verse: Because
You, as innocent
as a dream
as naked
as distances are
why do you surrender
so soon
when I am not
so brave
or ready
to be loved
as a dream
as naked
as distances are
why do you surrender
so soon
when I am not
so brave
or ready
to be loved
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Verse: Statement of Purpose
My intent
If I can
to find
the forgotten
embrace
the inconsolable
bind
the broken
and ruin
the righteous
by feeding them
my words.
If I can
to find
the forgotten
embrace
the inconsolable
bind
the broken
and ruin
the righteous
by feeding them
my words.
Verse: Reverie
Rather than serenade
the roly poly retreating sun
she cradled the
crescent moon
clutching it
in her cushioned kiss
she blew bubbles that
rolled and bounced
off the sides of
serrated satellites
threw arcs of light up
like confetti
and painted the heavens
in ghost colours
that glided down
the sky
to kiss the earth
goodnight
the roly poly retreating sun
she cradled the
crescent moon
clutching it
in her cushioned kiss
she blew bubbles that
rolled and bounced
off the sides of
serrated satellites
threw arcs of light up
like confetti
and painted the heavens
in ghost colours
that glided down
the sky
to kiss the earth
goodnight
Friday, February 5, 2010
Some Friday Verse doodles
I
I write verse
in much the same way
that I approach you
unrehearsed and
in a series of
sneak attacks
II
Love did not
come to me
I made my way
to it on my own
how many times did I
see it pass me by
only because I did not
invite it in
III
What is the way?
to deny myself
to avoid attachment?
how can I know
the way
When I want
and I tie myself
to you?
I write verse
in much the same way
that I approach you
unrehearsed and
in a series of
sneak attacks
II
Love did not
come to me
I made my way
to it on my own
how many times did I
see it pass me by
only because I did not
invite it in
III
What is the way?
to deny myself
to avoid attachment?
how can I know
the way
When I want
and I tie myself
to you?
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Verse: Magpie
I am coming to you
stealthy as a thief
watch your words
lest I take them
from you
for I have
no shame
stealthy as a thief
watch your words
lest I take them
from you
for I have
no shame
Haiku Blowout
I (meta haiku)
First, I count to five
then seven more syllables
and five to finish
II
Tranquility is
a dragonfly passing by
on a summer's day
III
Always remember
that the past is tense and the
future is perfect
IV
If you can make a
home of your heart then you will
never be alone
V
Do take my hand and
sit very still to hear how
softly the snow falls
VI
One thing I would like
to know before I go is:
'Are you lonesome, moon?'
VII
I was born before
the stars were awake, and yet
the night knows my name
VIII
Be here and now for
it is the then and soon where
problems do begin
IX
All you are is now
one continuous moment
in which I am lost
X
I loved you even
before I had any clue
that you could love me
First, I count to five
then seven more syllables
and five to finish
II
Tranquility is
a dragonfly passing by
on a summer's day
III
Always remember
that the past is tense and the
future is perfect
IV
If you can make a
home of your heart then you will
never be alone
V
Do take my hand and
sit very still to hear how
softly the snow falls
VI
One thing I would like
to know before I go is:
'Are you lonesome, moon?'
VII
I was born before
the stars were awake, and yet
the night knows my name
VIII
Be here and now for
it is the then and soon where
problems do begin
IX
All you are is now
one continuous moment
in which I am lost
X
I loved you even
before I had any clue
that you could love me
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Verse: I want you
At night
when I close my eyes
and in the morning
when I rise
I want you
if someone says
your name
my heart bursts
into flames
I want you
I try to exorcise it
with verse
but each word
makes it worse
I want you
I meditate for
countless hours
and I take
one thousand showers and
I want you
It is in everything
I have done
and obvious to
everyone
I want you
in case it has not
occured to you
I thought that
it is time you knew
I want you
when I close my eyes
and in the morning
when I rise
I want you
if someone says
your name
my heart bursts
into flames
I want you
I try to exorcise it
with verse
but each word
makes it worse
I want you
I meditate for
countless hours
and I take
one thousand showers and
I want you
It is in everything
I have done
and obvious to
everyone
I want you
in case it has not
occured to you
I thought that
it is time you knew
I want you
Verse: Psst
I thought
you should know that
I kept
all your words here
for you
on the off-chance that
you ever
wanted them back to
tell someone
that you love them
just like
you once told me
you should know that
I kept
all your words here
for you
on the off-chance that
you ever
wanted them back to
tell someone
that you love them
just like
you once told me
Some haiku
I
I was tainted with
insatiable love on the
day that I was born
II
Please do not ever
tell the sky what I have said
it is our secret
III
Thousands of pixels
impossibly form your face
oh, how I love you
I was tainted with
insatiable love on the
day that I was born
II
Please do not ever
tell the sky what I have said
it is our secret
III
Thousands of pixels
impossibly form your face
oh, how I love you
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Verse: Endings
We came
to the end
with hesitation
we came
with vague notions
and expectations
there were
epilogues that
followed on
but they seemed
to be after thoughts
anti climactic
we came
to the end
so abruptly
that we
only knew it was over
when it was over
even if we had an inkling
was there anything
different we would have done?
you know
and I know
the answer is no
even so,
we came to the end, like pilgrims
it did not come for us.
to the end
with hesitation
we came
with vague notions
and expectations
there were
epilogues that
followed on
but they seemed
to be after thoughts
anti climactic
we came
to the end
so abruptly
that we
only knew it was over
when it was over
even if we had an inkling
was there anything
different we would have done?
you know
and I know
the answer is no
even so,
we came to the end, like pilgrims
it did not come for us.
Two Haiku for Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010
I
Everyday you
should eat a poem because
it is good for you
II
Brush back the hair from
the sky's eyes and then you can
sing your morning song
Everyday you
should eat a poem because
it is good for you
II
Brush back the hair from
the sky's eyes and then you can
sing your morning song
Monday, February 1, 2010
Two Haiku for the Price of One!
I
You know you could just
stay here in the bed we made
and sleep in my arms
II
Come outside and I
will move to your rhythm while
the stars wound the night
You know you could just
stay here in the bed we made
and sleep in my arms
II
Come outside and I
will move to your rhythm while
the stars wound the night
verse: misplaced
you asked
'where are
my kisses?'
and i said
'right here
where you left them.
tell me
what are you
waiting for?
come and
take them
then give me mine.'
'where are
my kisses?'
and i said
'right here
where you left them.
tell me
what are you
waiting for?
come and
take them
then give me mine.'
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