Enron Executives Take the 5th

In the Senate, squareheadeder men than yesterday

call on the number 5

for help,

on law, the perfect length

which feels its fear being used up;

as the executives take the 5th , the oxygen

in the cup of the 5

gets formal,  crisp,

to support the tilllllt when the number

turns on its

back— ]  or  > —before

being hooked to the verge ledge

of the planet; the 5

fears being next

to their zeroes, their one-inflected

zeroes’ face masks,

all air zeroes,

zeroes choked,

choked air, all choked air zeroes

as if from belted

slugs circling,

choking round, choked round

the glittering

waist of the world?

                                                                                          (originally published in Chain )