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Spoken version
A recorded reading of “Procession in the Margin”. If the player does not load, use the original audio source.
At the bottom of a pale page they form up— violet ink learning ankles and intent. A saucer finds a step; a capsule tilts upright, practicing swagger. Twin mirrors heel-toe in sync; their shadows puddle, neat as stamps. A captain grins—spiked sun— twirling an eraser like a passport. He flicks the baton; the line hums, a tinny anthem with too much sugar. Earthworms count; pebbles act unimpressed. They go like stray punctuation escaping the sentence of the day. When they pass, your pockets lighten. The page holds its breath, bright, ready.
Alternative version
Milk-white paper; the caps step out, stipes spry as tuning forks. They pogo through punctuation puddles, gilled with giggles and rumor. One cap hefts a brick— “Building character,” he quips. The rest go heel-toe, heel-toe, keeping spore-time for the chorus. Button, portobello, UFO— whatever you call them, they answer the roll. Legs like question marks, backs like commas, they march across the margin toward a punchline. The page keeps a straight face. They don’t. They caper, they cap-lock, turning blank to prank to poem, leaving small ellipses of joy.
Lyrics
Bottom of a pale page, caps form Violet ink on ankles, ready Saucer finds a step, capsule stands They practice swagger, heel-toe in sync Shadows puddle, neat like stamps Captain grins, sun-spiked; twirls a passport He flicks the baton, the line hums Tinny anthem, too much sugar Earthworms count, pebbles don't care Stray marks run off the margin You pass; my pockets lighten Page holds breath, bright, ready Right on the line Write on the line Turn blank to sign Right on the line Milk-white paper, the caps step out Stipes spring like tuning forks They pogo through puddle marks Gilled with giggles, whisper rumor One cap lifts a brick Building character, he says The rest keep spore time Legs curl like question marks Backs rest like commas They march the margin, punchline near Button, portobello, UFO, roll call You name them, they answer Coins sound thin; the page smiles I laugh; the line gets ready Right on the line Write on the line Turn blank to sign Right on the line I draw one line, they dance Turn blank to poem, now Right on the line Write on the line Turn blank to sign Right on the line
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