Whilst trying to tidy up the papers on my table this morning I came across a sheet that I had printed on with a view to typing over but somehow I had spilt water on it, creating lines where the liquid had coursed its way through the print, leaving yellow/greenish trails. After initially cursing the spoilt paper I decided to add to the effect by trailing more water over it. I was going to just type on that but hit on the idea of using a children's illustration from Mental and Scholastic Tests by Cyril Burt (yes, it's funny, the kinds of books I've collected). This naturally suggested a kind of joyful abandon, as children's drawings do; free from adult self-consciousness and restraint. I tried to type in the same spirit, allowing for the fact that I'm a long way from my childhood. Whilst doing so, it occurred to me that I nearly always type like that anyway!
Of course, being an adult who, by now, has typed many times in the name of visual poetry, I couldn't help but try to create some 'sense' to the picture, hence the pile of letters the figure stands on and the idea that they are dropping more letters at their feet. Oh well, it goes to show, you can never fully regain the child-mind.
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