Page 81

By Jack Joseph Smith

If I could wright on turns and tables. Sinking not when ren was done Highlighted by its so singular of a column spread If I could wright on turns and tables Sinking not when ren was done Highlighted by its so singular of a column spread My little brown wings would become black And all that I learned in journal school Would finally make its fame in deportation writE of thE ALEutIAN TERNS stAy YoUNG oN A SEAMEN'S tAblE BAlANcEd with thE wAvEs of siNGulAr in A coLUMNs sprEAd WhitE wiNgs ANd bEAKs blAgiNg rEd thE NEAt form AgAiNst thE tArNishEd siLvEr sky in thE bLAck sEA of My hEAd ANd ALL thAt I LEArNEd in thE drAftsMEN's schooLs Woold MAKE its FAME in dEportAtion (BlAck bELLY)

Original Scan

AI Interpretation

GPT

Two surviving typed drafts imagine writing about turns and tables, wings darkening and journalism gaining fame in deportation. The handwritten revision describes young Aleutian terns on a seamen's table, white wings, red beaks and a tarnished sky.

The writer retains the first draft's act of writing while revising its subject toward birds and seafaring. The corrected table and red-beak wording replace unsupported fable and near readings. The Black belly margin note has an uncertain insertion point, and several handwritten forms still require follow-up.

Claude

Typed and handwritten versions of a poem about writing. The typed version begins 'If I could wright on turns and tables' and ends 'Would finally make its fame in deportation'. The handwritten revision begins 'writE of thE ALEutIAN TERNS stAy YoUNG / oN A SEAMEN'S tAblE' and ends 'ANd ALL thAt I LEArNEd in thE drAftsMEN's schooLs / Woold MAKE its FAME in dEportAtion'. A separate note reads '(BlAck / bELLY)'.

The revision changes the speaker's 'little brown wings' to terns with 'WhitE wiNgs ANd bEAKs blAgiNg rEd', and 'journal school' to 'drAftsMEN's schooLs'. The closing paradox of fame through deportation is kept in both versions. Several handwritten words remain provisional.