3 JUNE AMONG THE HIGH NUMBERS

IGOR LEVIT’S FOREHEAD IS REDDENING   THE TASK HE SET HIMSELF IS MADDENING  

PLAYING FOUR LINES OF PIANO MUSIC BY ERIK SATIE  AS MANY TIMES AS THE COMPOSER VEXATIOUSLY REQUIRED  

840 

AS IGOR COMPLETES EACH SEQUENCE  

HE TAKES A SHEET OF MUSIC FROM THE PILE ON TOP OF THE PIANO

AND DROPS IT ON THE PARQUET FLOOR OF HIS BERLIN STUDIO   

KEEPING THE SCORES TO BE AUCTIONED IN SUPPORT OF MUSICIANS IMPOVERISHED BY COVID-19   

AFTERWARDS HE SAID  ‘I WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW I’M PLAYING THIS PIECE WHILE THE U.S. IS BURNING’   

ONLY IN AMERICA   DEATH CERTIFICATES ISSUED FOR THOSE SHOT+KILLED BY POLICE   

OUTNUMBER IGOR’S REPETITIONS OF SATIE’S ‘VEXATIONS’   

IN 2019  1028    

MR PRESIDENT THE FLOOR OF YOUR OFFICE IS STREWN WITH THEM

WISHING THAT POLICE VIOLENCE MAY COME TO A SWIFT END       

YOURS TRULY   

THE NEWS POET