| WFR POETRY |
| WFR POETRY |
Empty When Full
by George Ryan
1
The subway map of New York City is
difficult to comprehend for strangers
but works as a reliable defense
against a sudden foreign ground assault
2
Hartsdale Pet Cemetery was founded
when a Manhattan veterinarian
allowed a grieving client to bury her dog
at his Westchester apple orchard.
It was not long before pet owners
began asking to be buried there too.
3
The English playwright Alan Bennett
wondered why a paragraph was marked
in a library book by a wavering line.
He turned the page and found it was a long dark hair.
George Ryan was born in Ireland and graduated from University College Dublin. He lives in New York City. Elkhound published his “Finding Americas,” as well as “Other Places,” “Other Times,” and most recently “Cumulonimbus.” His poems are nearly all about incidents that involve real people in real places and use straightforward language.