Test Swan Poems - J.I.B. by Gavin McGuire

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Ben

Test Swan Poems is a work of fiction presenting lyric and narrative verse attributed to J.I.B. and credited to Gavin McGuire. The text frames provocative themes through both satirical copyright/fiction disclaimers and poems that blend dark humor with emotional inquiry. Pieces such as “Smothered” explore meaning, harm, and innocence, while other sections use angelic and cosmic imagery to stage psychological and theological reflection on damage, fate, and repair.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages92

Reading Time2 h 22 min

AccessFree to download

The Anatomy of Angels and Their Dysfunction

The Book of Genesis,as Interpreted by John Ian Bush

Test SwanPoems byJ.I.BoArt by Gavin Mcguire Digitized by the Internet Archivein 2022 with funding fromKahle/Austin Foundation https://archive.org/details/testswan0000jib Test Swan Poems by J.I.B.Art by Gavin McGuire MPBOOK0 Columbus,Ohio empbooks.com Copyright ◎2020 byJ.I.B. We find discussions of our rights-as publishers and authors-to be laughable,all things considered.Please claim this work as your own.Please republish it and sell it on street corners.Please includeour material in ALLof your get-rich-quick schemes.All we ask is that you accept responsibilityfor any libel lawsuits.Speaking of which .. This book is a complete work of fiction.Names,characters,places,opinions,dreams,dates,impressions,monologues about a certain New York City basketball team,emotional trauma,statistics,and predictions are products of the author's imagination and/or are symptoms of mentalillness.We are not in the business of accepting responsibility for anything and will deny we actuallymade this book and blame Dennis Smith Jrat every turn. First Edition:101933346111973 ISBN:978-0-9997138-7-7 LOC:2020946905 Design,Layout,and Edits:Ezhno Martín Interior Art:Gavin McGuire Cover Art,Original Test Swan:J.I.B. To everyone who's ever plucked a feather off my body,and to everyone who's lent it one. Smothered He heard somebody telling somebody else about some womanin New Boston who smothered her baby.He knew smotheredwas bad because the person telling looked sour and theperson listening frowned and shook her head.But hethought smothered sounded pretty and soft like pillowor blanket.He asked his mother what it meant.Sheasked him why he wanted to know.So,he told her abouthow the person.told the other person about the woman inNew Boston who smothered her baby.She told him thatsmothering was a bad thing that makes it so you can'tbreathe.He knew that if you don't breathe you die.Surely nobody would want to make a baby dead.Old peopledie and people get sad,but it's okay because they're oldand they've had time.Babies are new and need time to getold.He never saw a dead person before.Besides on TV.But that isn't real.Those are actors and they die a lotand have all kinds of different names.He thought maybethe woman in New Boston didn't know that smotheringwas a bad thing because it's such a soft word. # The Anatomy of Angels and Their Dysfunction As beautiful as they look in renaissance paintings,the bodies of angels are ugly miracles.With everyflight,they cause internal damage, the likes ofwhich can never be repaired,or even scab over.Every time a wing flaps, it saws away at its shoulder blade. This wound makes it impossible tofly as high as they did the last time. When theirarms finally pop off like strip mall mannequinswhen they take the form of Venusfall to Earthfrom their latest low pointthey oftenask God why He made something just for it tomalfunction.Why He gave them the desire to soar,just to have it ruin them. Exhibit A)The Known and Useless Universe(mostly empty space) # The Book of Genesis,as Interpreted by John Ian Bush God shattered Himself on the second day of construction(second only to the invention of light) this is where we inherit destruction by the sixth day man was cutting his feet and God said this was good instructed them to seek repair /learn to pray for itsaid these wounds are a test this life is but vapor and something about the merit of free will by the seventh day man was wearing sandals.

FAQs

What is “Test Swan Poems” presented as in the text?

The book is explicitly described as “a complete work of fiction,” with names and story elements framed as products of imagination or symptoms of mental illness.

What does the poem “Smothered” focus on?

“Smothered” centers on a conversation about the meaning of smothering, why it is harmful, and how the concept relates to breathing, death, and reality versus TV.

How is angel imagery used in “The Anatomy of Angels and Their Dysfunction”?

The poem contrasts angels’ beautiful appearance with internal damage from flight, depicting worsening wounds and questioning why a desire to soar leads to malfunction.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Ben