typesetting

by Matthew Stokdyk

a manicule, with pipe in hand,
is reaving through the text,
and in its wake, the pilcrows feast
(but leave the hash and checks)

and if a dagger slashes it ^{(or me!)}
(back or forward,
either or),
divided thus in two,
forget the section sign
and grab an ampersand
& patch it up
with inky glue

as cummings ^{(sort of)} said:
parentheses = undead,
while underscores are lying down—
intero-
bang!
a sudden end,
a bullet to the head

all my commas, colons, hyphens—
dashed against the page—
the coronis, at last—
leave fleurons on my grave. ❧