Marginalia

A ragman sang of an anagram
unaligned in the margin
on a page’s railing.

A gnarl of a word
like an animal
aiming to enlighten

the grain
between lines
of manila mail.

A gram of &s played by the marina
of imagination’s edge, an ad limina
miring grail with mania.

A stranger’s cursive, passing grin
hidden sweet in gaps of stanzas:
agar in a coconut jelly tin.

A thought made mana,
a marlin
swimming by a story’s rim.