Truck

everyone has their orders to follow 

one of the guards is in charge of the lock

another keeps the key

one sharpens the instruments of torture

one measures up for the simple box

and one will spade the earth in

none of these men has a name

and in the morning

each of them shaves

with a similar razor

and until

his face is gone

work of the everyday

every day of my life

I’ve built

block upon block

I added to meaning

I added things up

seemed as if

from nothing once

but that was never the way

all that I needed must have been there

I’ve puzzled it out of the ruins

yes – the materials were there

where I stood

were with me from day 1

it was just a matter of

opening my eyes

now I’ve four walls

and the roof’s almost done

where once I had

a sky 

he decides to start a religion

I have perfected the art of falling up

it’s taken me till now

and of course there’s still some proof

left to the pudding

the kind of thing angels applaud

and so it is with no little suspense

I step up on the window sill

I won’t tell you how many floors up

I hold out a finger

to test the wind

and so I lead the way

damage control

those who

make weapons

buy weapons

sell weapons

those who

tell us

we must have weapons –

these people should have weapons

tested on them

*

Christopher (Kit) Kelen's (客遠文) most recent volumes of poetry are God preserve me from those who want what’s best for me, published in 2009 by Picaro Press, (N.S.W, Australia) and in conversation with the river, published in 2010 by VAC (Chicago, USA). For the last ten years Kelen has taught Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Macau in south China. 

Dredging the Delta (book of Macao poems and sketches, 102pp)
published in 2007 by Cinnamon Press (UK)
on-line orders through http://www.cinnamonpress.com/titles-uk.htm

God preserve me from those who want what’s best for me(74pp)
published in 2009 by Picaro Press, (N.S.W, Australia). 
http://www.picaropress.com/p2-3.html 

In Conversation with the River(140pp)
published in 2010 by VAC (Chicago, IL)
on-line orders through http://vacteam.com/books.htm