On opening the book
I find the pages are filled
with paragraph after paragraph
of dense text, passive voice.
A reference list that spills
from covers to devour days.
Look here, you say, under hegemony
a spidery line tracks left
to penciled notes, aslant.
There is space in the margin.

This hanging indent an invitation
to prise the words apart
shake loose the strokes of letters
remake the text. All we must do
is smooth down the paper and begin.