BEFORE

BEFORE

I read the poetry
of the dead

which I would not
recommend
to anyone

for what
business
do they have with us
who live?

what trade in, what purchase
of
    their defunct ideas

for
everything changes
moves so fast you
are no longer left
in any position
to recollect
    things
that were;
all that was

and so
     we are
      so much the better
for not
knowing about them

better
not to let their words
trouble us
let us contrive
                  to forget

erase
    
      take out of
the picture completely

I read the poetry
of the dead

their
dead poetry

disturbing the Hell
out of me