food trap

Gertrude Stein, “If I Told Him: A Completed Portrait of Picasso”

(first published in Vanity Fair in 1924)

  If I told him would he like it. Would he like it if I told him.
  Would he like it would Napoleon would Napoleon would would he like it.
  If Napoleon if I told him if I told him if Napoleon. Would he like it if I 
told him if I told him if Napoleon. Would he like it if Napoleon if Napoleon 
if I told him. If I told him if Napoleon if Napoleon if I told him. If I told 
him would he like it would he like it if I told him.
  Now.
  Not now.
  And now.
  Now.
  Exactly as as kings.
  Feeling full for it.
  Exactitude as kings.
  So to beseech you as full as for it.
  Exactly or as kings.
  Shutters shut and open so do queens. Shutters shut and shutters and so 
shutters shut and shutters and so and so shutters and so shutters shut and 
so shutters shut and shutters and so. And so shutters shut and so and also. 
And also and so and so and also.
  Exact resemblance. To exact resemblance the exact resemblance as exact 
as a resemblance, exactly as resembling, exactly resembling, exactly in 
resemblance exactly a resemblance, exactly and resemblance. For this is so. 
Because.
  Now actively repeat at all, now actively repeat at all, now actively repeat 
at all.
  Have hold and hear, actively repeat at all.
  I judge judge.
  As a resemblance to him.
  Who comes first. Napoleon the first.
  Who comes too coming coming too, who goes there, as they go they share, who 
shares all, all is as all as as yet or as yet.
  Now to date now to date. Now and now and date and the date.
  Who came first. Napoleon at first. Who came first Napoleon the first. 
Who came first, Napoleon first.
  Presently.
  Exactly do they do.
  First exactly.
  Exactly do they do too.
  First exactly.
  And first exactly.
  Exactly do they do.
  And first exactly and exactly.
  And do they do.
  At first exactly and first exactly and do they do.
  The first exactly.
  And do they do.
  The first exactly.
  At first exactly.
  First as exactly.
  As first as exactly.
  Presently
  As presently.
  As as presently.
  He he he he and he and he and and he and he and he and and as and as he 
and as he and he. He is and as he is, and as he is and he is, he is and as he 
and he and as he is and he and he and and he and he.
  Can curls rob can curls quote, quotable.
  As presently.
  As exactitude.
  As trains
  Has trains.
  Has trains.
  As trains.
  As trains.
  Presently.
  Proportions.
  Presently.
  As proportions as presently.
  Father and farther.
  Was the king or room.
  Farther and whether.
  Was there was there was there what was there was there what was there 
was there there was there.
  Whether and in there. 
  As even say so.
  One.
  I land.
  Two.
  I land.
  Three.
  The land.
  Three
  The land.
  Three
  The land.
  Two
  I land.
  Two 
  I land.
  One
  I land.
  Two 
  I land.
  As a so.
  They cannot.
  A note.
  They cannot.
  A float.
  They cannot.
  They dote.
  They cannot.
  They as denote.
  Miracles play.
  Play fairly.
  Play fairly well.
  A well.
  As well.
  As or as presently.
  Let me recite what history teaches. History teaches.