Z

An N by any other name

would be a sideways Z,

but what use is language

to a man with no tongue?

He lives in a house made of glass

and names each cobble stone

as he works to walk.

His wife calls his name

and waves the briefcase he

left behind

but her voice fades to a sigh

breathed on Lent.

In the summer

tourists thunder down the streets

treading hymns in their many voices.

In a cafe lit by the moon

horses sit at each table

sipping coffee and discussing

politics

ie the right of brown horses to mount other brown horses

and whether the government can condone

such an atrocity.