Introducing the poem 'Two Buddhist' at a reading

The Times Literary Supplement called this poem `Unreadable.’

One step down from the kiss of death, the New York Times called this poem, `Downloadable.’

This poem is less about the words than the words missing.

To read an unreadable poem is a challenge…, a Buddhist challenge.

Quick outline of the story: Two monks walking. One monk carries a woman across the river. This is against his vows. They walk on, have a little bicker about it, and he says Forget it.

That’s what I like about Buddhism: You can do anything you want — you can do fuck all — and it’s all good.

"Rome wasn’t built in a day. But some of it was."

The Ten Tenors. You thought Three were too many?

The future, as sea levels rise, will be refugees in slow motion.

Several Stephen Stood Smelling the Southerly. `Shit.’ Steak Simmering. Since Six, Stephen’d Sat Sending Signals Skittering Skyward. Suddenly it’s Seven. Standing, Stephen Strode Shoreward. `Siddhartha! Send the Skiff Speedily. Selene’s Sizzling Steak and Stephen’ll Suffer `Scruciatingly.’ Sublime Siddy Sat Stone-Still. Said Stirringly: `Shanti. Shanti. Shanti. Shit Happens.’