TumulusJennifer Avery

A tumulus is a burial mound. From Latin tumere: to swell. These gravesites are usually constructed from stone and earth. This book is composed of a tumulus of snow, line and gesture.

Contents of Tumulus I. The thirty-minuet walk.

Mounds of snowAll dead all buried but beautiful.Kat & Jennifer smoke cigarettesMind convergeSky pause squishTrianglesFootprints rushRooftopsConvergence with other walkersGrey tonesStairs lines stripesWhite &blackLittle trees seeds in snowOrnamentation fragmentation MysteryThe faces on LymanEye contact or (word illegible)DancePause on stairs, Kat bendsOver fire escapesSound of feetSquish stopSmoking with red leather glovesMore faces, roman numeralsSmoke will not billow from the cold nor coollyGetting darkMake a pictogram of the snow walk soundScrapping moistCig deadPlans changed no printingPeople pass through or outOur lives Kat &Jen walk slowAll the writingMy ring is 2 bigPeering through gatesGesturing to the earsA pirateSnow pant squishHigh window pan sunset watchers leaningTiny room with chandelier? A chandelier room?Does not fitBare trees food smell (word illegible)25 cents in the meter, red light of cars a loopColors of light yellow, blue, red orange greenOrange dotsSirensSo many lines marking postsA quicker paceIceless again! Kats energyWe do playsWall of food smell

W/the flow? Up the flowGround is slick as slights of hand

Bus waitersThe buss tunnel under campus all the timeWhat else is under campus?SewersPack of lives togetherFrozen hands Ofen Often of ten

DEEP DRIFT. Wandered into the mound Cold ring past boots on left calf, then rightTwenty more mins like thisNests concrete where brick wasCold cold cold calf ringTea this for treesKats ShoesPhone dead tooContained on campus not on ThayerNot on realityGrowling (word illegible) ProfsMain greenVirginity dentedWedge (word illegible) a truckInside lights a snow sphinxBuildings closer together changes mood and passageWhite green to quite quite green

Contents of Tumulus II. Gestures of wandering into tumulus and the subsequent burning circle of cold flesh above boot line.

One: PlasterMaterials: plaster gauze, cold mint green sheet, scissors, mauve thigh-highs, and plastic bowl miming ice/glass filled with tepid water. Jennifer’s legs.

Plaster gauze is dipped in the warm water and wrapped around the stocking covered legs. (Stockings are rolled down to knees.) Plaster is warm at first from the water, then very warm from the chemical reaction that turns it from powder to brittle wall, and currently very very very cold. This is a reverse of the snow above the boot line original gesture. The flesh once protected by the boots is now quite cold. Yet the stuck feeling remains, as I am frozen in this chair with these plaster legs until the process completely cures. Think of my discomfort as you read the rest of this text. It will be just like the discomfort on the walk. It is like I am wearing boots of snow.

Two: Sharpie and plastic wrapMaterials: sharpie marker, plastic wrap, white paper, Jennifer’s legs

Wrap the plastic wrap (a clear material performing ice) around the areas of skin that was exposed to the tumulus. A black sharpie is best. Make many energetic lines. Repeat for both legs. Peel off. Think about your cold wet legs, the smell of sharpie, the wrinkle of plastic wrap.

Three: Sharpie and LegsMaterials: black sharpie, Jennifer’s legs.

Directly on the flesh this time draw lines around the top of the caves that met the tumulus di-rectly. Also write tumulus, aggressively.

Four: Ice cubeMaterials: Ice cubes of the iceberg that sunk the Titanic from a novelty ice cub tray, Jennifer’s legs, remains of all the pervious gestures.

Attempt to erase the remains of all the previous gestures with the iceberg ice cubes. Until they are melted and you realize this is impossible. Admire the light red swelling. The tingling frozen pain. The elusive nature of ice cubes, like words always slipping out of your hands,