Phil Ruthen

No more parades    

after Billy Collins’ Nine Horses

There is no opening line
‘il n’y a pas d’hors le texte’
then, naked passenger,

diligence, malign-
ed growth at the world’s nex-
us. There is no opening line

to step off, incline
or draw down the shutters’ lex-
icon. Then, naked passenger,

for stating malls, mountains, lin-
ear, lead the horses south, sex-
ed menagerie. There is no opening line

from garage to garage, consign
visits to a cardex.
Then, naked passenger,

fin.
‘Il n’y a pas d’hors le texte’.
There is no opening line.
Then, naked passenger,

17/03/07 Brockley

Phil Ruthen's collection, Jetty View Holding, will be published by Waterloo Press in 2008.
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