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a note for andy
report alive, successive; scottish castles
west before toronto-score
a central husk; a cartoon scene
of being alive; ghazal-like
would make of debt-load, couplets, student-loaned
, transparent as the shade
what does it?
married life is fool & envy
from outside; vision thinned, restorative
an office w/ a polar view
its time we held
a better revolution, arc a city out
in frightening reserve
of drink & cars & cars & drink
& vernon, british columbia
& whyte strathcona tavern, successive plant
& supplant, pens we wasted
& no one else as organized to leave it
a note for all the other notes
that dont get sent, or written yet
a bad attitude & a bald head
, the back of hands; that isnt developed
on both of us either
a valentine for amanda
so present & so personal; construction burns
misnomer name, a motorcycle helm, the patty
duke show; the stuff we retain
(is mostly water)
would land a stack in shadow, distracted simply
couldnt cure
furniture isnt everything
a moneyed ramble takes its toll
a light bare basis; in the background
fried domestic, new lover & a casserole
missing tricks
of speed & sleeve, I havent
said eternal, broken blue-lead glass
umbrella walls in hand
& sexsmith, ron; a happy page
of breeding my space life
if cant seduce, she says, I may as well amuse
or doing so, a fragile bruise of scorched earth
morning glimpses through
: four corners of the real
an apology for ann-marie
what you always said you wanted; needle red,
a guinness, leonard cohen; tequila thirds,
cranberry sweet & seven-up; my best
& only, first; that you would contribute
struck powerlines, despair built out of straw
& wood, & brass tax, vigour out
of hard stone; mention
never could be mentioned; an island, red
& sand for counting,
suddenly real
glen norman made from thinking
& absorbed
into your limbness, limits
where; a tribute made to afternoon & evenings,
trembled hard-wired body warm
& insect only
in sheer determination
the crack & thistle glowing lily orange
in two hands, a dollar month
or six short weeks
you didnt say a word
has further gone w/ less or more than never-wrong
a supplement for phil
repeating bears; the shift-work switch
& unencumbered
, shouting, corn, one contemplative spin
go harkened under; engines stop & swoon,
a neighbour turned in fine tails
questions named; why falls
the piece world otherwise, never seemed
or soon
or broke by being
nervous thunderclap of straw or hammer,
clawhammer banjo, listening out
to form a thrill of town & thistle
our cravings mark; birds repeating birds
repeat
in window, wind
what nothing could combine, collect or steal
reversed themselves
almost exactly
& alternating
composing writing notes: or would in turn
the limited-use double negative dub
rob mclennan
photo by Charles Earl
these poems are dedicated to (in order): Weaver, Earl, Seguin and Hall.
Born in Ottawa, rob mclennan currently lives in Ottawa. The author of over a dozen poetry collections including name , an errant (England: Stride, 2006), aubade (Canada: Broken Jaw Press, 2006), The Ottawa City Project (Canada: Chaudiere Books, 2007) and a compact of words (Ireland, Salmon Publishing, 2007), he has edited a number of anthologies and other collections, and currently edits the online Ottawa poetry pdf annual ottawater (www.ottawater.com), the online critical journal Poetics.ca (with Stephen Brockwell, www.poetics.ca), and posts regularly on his clever blog: www.robmclennan.blogspot.com. A collection of his literary essays is due in fall 2007 with Canadian publisher ECW Press.