The History of Line Breaks


Before the Maginot, before the Mason- 
Dixon, there were lines, and they were broken. 
From Dallas to LA to Chappaquiddick 
to Martha's Vineyard, Constantine could conquer 
but could not draw a line -- without it being 
crossed by another. Jesus Christ, the Wright 
brothers, had the same idea: they looked 
at the horizon, thought that they could break it. 
As clever as the Greeks, they were, as those 
who broke blind Homer's one long line, who piled 
it up that we who have eyes might see -- like numbers 
in the Bible, like Cummings making space. 
Tell Iggy, Yoko and Marcel their cuts 
are nothing new. It all started on 
the queue for Cats, many hours ago.


March 12, 2003