Eddie Gibbons

The End of Poetry

One of the secret powers of this poem
is to render the reader’s clothing invisible.

This may account for the occasional
cries of alarm heard in Public Libraries.

So be careful where you read these words.
And next time you see someone bare

and oblivious in a bookshop stay calm.
Close the book and lead them gently

from the Poetry shelves, avoiding
the Children’s section, and usher them

to the Meet-the-Author stand
where they will form a nude tableau entitled:

Reading Poetry Is Like Standing Naked In Front
Of People And Baring Your Soul To Them.

Let them become aware of each other’s bodies.
Let them begin where all poems end.

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