Flarf Poetry

A sample of Flarf Poetry from Katie Degentesh's:

The Anger Scale

Cows are incredibly placid, sedentary animals when on the ice

but really they are gay nymphomaniacs

so big and bright that I will need to carve them

a juicy new watermelon.

They also dig pretend burrows

when a human doesn’t listen to what they are saying.

The fact remains that no cow has ever been proven to be a ghost or a spirit.

Things are good, good is sweet, and gnarly has

the musty reek that reminds me of the cow fetuses

I had to dissect a couple of months ago

            This poem is a perfect example of the 'nonsense' and 'distorted' use of words that makes up flarf poems. Firstly, it is ridiculously silly and not to mention contradictory to claim that a cow is placid and gentle in one breathe yet a gay and crazy sex maniac in another. Next, this poem comically yet falsely suggests that cows have a conscience and show emotion as they dig holes when humans don't listen to them. I wish I could dig a hole and bury myself when nobody listens to me! Then it continues babbling about sweet, good, pleasant thoughts when BAM, it shifts focus on a rather disgusting image of fetuses being dissected, at which point I lost my appetite! Obviously, Katie Degentesh is successful in accomplishing flarf poetry, as the few samples I glanced over are the most far-fetched and ridiculous pieces of literary works I've ever read!