peeling from a ream

when I burned the diagram of the city
I burned nothing
there was no diagram
of no city

the page wasn’t much
blank 
a sheet of copy paper
legal sized
to look almost impressive

I’d like to tell you
it was vellum
that I lit it
and it really burned
the nothing I didn’t burn

or 
I dunno
I forget
it was linen


discursive v.o.

how do you know I’m 
just speaking to you
now or just reading from
a prepared statement

is this a page from
some yet unprinted
chapbook
a private edition

or when I stop and
you speak
do you speak freely
or quote something
of your own

do I need to be
listening
might I be missing
something

should I be taking
notes


___

KR Seward makes various noises.  More recently, August Combines, Familiar Lines and Scotland North.