The True Artist Helps the World by Revealing Mystic Truths
after Bruce Nauman
by Jennifer Shepard

The vision organizes
itself in short rows.

Becomes a bookshelf
stacking its sentences

and chooses the language
to translate its banners.

Does not name anything
prepared for an outlet

but makes objects with light
outlined in neon.

Abandons all newsprint
and uses the ink of night—

speaks only when the light
is finally turned off

in planned obsolescence
so viewer becomes the air

the light never joins.