THE BETTERING, AN “X”

a long way toward believing 

new test of parting 

splitting days with a game playing is it real 

like, grass texture or this razed wall 

familiarly-rendered signs IRL 

is a layer of shadow and sharing needs until 

here is the knife 

waking up inside and still without knowledge 

of that which was given to you 

guesswork, footage 

turn around the incendiary into 

pretend to wind payback 

like dancing the made enemy hand which picks 

descending scales 

though weaved 

well, what's the deal with the big circling around 

and why bother, then, with counting? 

blessing said for just anyone 

that I prefer my beliefs formed through 

consequence 

like revealing position 

before you've won

---

Damon Phạm works with sound, digital media, and language. He’s informed by experience working as a statistician; he’s guided by a respect for interiority, aesthetic pleasure, and just trying to do good in the world. Nowadays you can find him at damondpham.github.io, on Bandcamp as Especially, or somewhere around Sài Gòn.