The Building Forms a Square

((although understandably
inferior to the state
of having two working

ears it is nonetheless
lucky to be a steam duct
on the roof of this
or any other building) but

in line with the nature
of things – that is, objects –
there are always steam ducts

and umbrellas, but um
brellas only come out
when it rains or some

times when it’s sunny
and steam ducts are constant
whether at work or not:

they have this freedom)

the building forms a square
with a courtyard – a quadrangle? –
in its blind and deaf centre (and

it is into this courtyard – quad
rangle? – that the steam ducts
point (something should be said here

about the nature of the steam
ducts (and by nature

I don’t mean nature,
I mean physical appearance,
which in this case is apparently

practically the same): they are curved
and lipped, and yes,
there are three of the
m, they are like trunks,

or truncated
lower-case ‘n’s or upen
ded – deracinated? – paren
theses) and it is into this courtyard

– quadrangle? – that steam would go
if steam went down instead
of up (opposite this building

is the derelict college
which they should knock down
and turn into a public lido

with, dare I say it, a steam room
attached)) (they bear
a resemblance to pigeons also,

the curved neck, though I’m now
not sure if they are steam ducts
or quite what steam ducts are;
they are just grey pipes