by Frank Bidart
Each grinding flattened American vowel smashed to
centerlessness, his glee that whatever long ago mutilated his
mouth, he has mastered to mutilate
you: the Joker's voice, so unlike
the bruised, withheld, wounded voice of Ennis Del Mar.
Once I have the voice
that's
the line
and at
the end
of the line
is a hook
and attached
to that
is the soul.
Copyright ©:
Frank Bidart
Last updated November 30, 2022