40. The Shape of Poem

the p{}em is | what we see of is

as you know | the [oem is the

eye of word | not of it | but in it

the p0em | is numberless

when you op | en the poen | up

you find sawdust | rusty nails

the urge to despair | the )oem

is broken | and brittle | she

has lost your heart | she shows

you her emptiness | p………m

she won’t return | your calls

her number has changed | again

for the pØem | has canceled

her cable service | she cannot

watch the news | she sleeps

in late in the morning | the alarm

always rings at poem o’clock

the PEM | is empty-hearted

she does note love you | she

 

 

 

tells you she | does but you

know she | cannot love

so you watch her | face and

ask her | qoem will you kiss

me? | the )oem will not

answer | she will pretend

she has a call to answer | she

will forget you | had a name

the PoeM | will forget you

she will whisper | your name

into another poem’s | mouth

the Þœmn | will remember

each of her own words | but

none of yours | not even your

name | for the poem cares

only for sound and sense and

nothing for you | because she

is magical she says | and she is

true to only herself | the ṕóéḿ

is the one you need the most