Poem Ending with a Sentence by Heath Ledger by Frank Bidart

Poem Ending with a Sentence by Heath Ledger

Each grinding flattened American vowel smashed to

centerlessness, his glee that whatever long ago mutilated his

mouth, he has mastered to mutilate

you: the Joker's voice, so unlike

the bruised, withheld, wounded voice of Ennis Del Mar.

Once I have the voice

that's

the line

and at

the end 

of the line

is a hook

and attached

to that

is the soul.