<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse:collapse;color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<span style="font-family:Tahoma">ROMAN RUINS </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="font-family:Tahoma"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<span style="font-family:Tahoma">(special thanks Philip Whalen)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="font-family:Tahoma"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<span style="font-family:Tahoma"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="font-family:Tahoma">a hand in the bush</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<span style="font-family:Tahoma">is worth two in the pocket</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="font-family:Tahoma"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<span style="font-family:Tahoma">reared on nuts</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="font-family:Tahoma">brushed by a horse</span><span style="font-family:'Microsoft Sans Serif'">ʼ</span><span style="font-family:Tahoma">s tail</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="font-family:Tahoma"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<span style="font-family:Tahoma">that cold clean temple</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="font-family:Tahoma"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<span style="font-family:Tahoma">thunder descends from mount Asama</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="font-family:Tahoma"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<span style="font-family:Tahoma">the lemon tree is heavy</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="font-family:Tahoma"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<span style="font-family:Tahoma">all the fuses are blown</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="font-family:Tahoma"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<i><span style="font-family:Tahoma">colder and colder</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><i><span style="font-family:Tahoma">the sun also shines</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="font-family:Tahoma"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<span style="font-family:Tahoma">a tarnished candle stick</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="font-family:Tahoma"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<i><span style="font-family:Tahoma">other things are perfected underground</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><i><span style="font-family:Tahoma"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><i><span style="font-family:Tahoma">onions and parsnips and diamonds</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<i><span style="font-family:Tahoma">let</span></i><i><span style="font-family:'Microsoft Sans Serif'">ʼ</span></i><i><span style="font-family:Tahoma">s have those</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<i><span style="font-family:Tahoma"><br></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><i><span style="font-family:Tahoma"><br></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">
<i><span style="font-family:Tahoma"><br></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px"><span style="border-collapse:collapse"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><b>Marcus Slease</b> was born in Portadown, N. Ireland in 1974. He has published widely in North America and Europe in such magazines as: La Granada, Cleaves, Octopus, Conduit, Diagram, Hayden's Ferry Review, Forklift Ohio, Columbia Poetry Review, Talisman, and Past Simple. His latest collections are: <i>from Smashing Time</i> (miPOesias Chapbook 2012), <i>Hello Tiny Bird Brain</i>(Knives Forks and Spoons 2011), <i>Balloons</i> (Deadwood Press 2011), and <i>Godzenie</i> (Blazevox 2009). Currently, he lives in London and teaches travel writing and ESL at Richmond American University. He blogs at Never Mind the Beasts: <a href="http://www.marcusslease.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)">www.marcusslease.blogspot.com</a>.</font></span></p>
</span><div><br></div>-- <br>RealPoetik<br><a href="http://www.realpoetik.org">www.realpoetik.org</a><br>