some morning coiled subway in stations,

the way of empty promise. rideau street

makes aware the routes of proximity.

three wrongs make it; pencil-thin and red

dragons awake, the night halloween

forgets, stops being a question.

are you getting this? are you backbiting

unrehearsed beauty?

a terrible mode of grotesque.

---

rob mclennan lives in Ottawa, Canada's glorious capital, even though he was born there. His 13th trade poetry collection is The Ottawa City Project (Chaudiere Books, 2007), and he is currently putting the finishing touches on a collection of literary essays for ECW Press. He regularly posts reviews and essays at robmclennan.blogspot.com.

Other works on Sidebrow: neck & still