Ryan Phillippe

Ryan Phillippe

I saw him—one night
At Gold’s Gym—pouty
As usual—working out
Moody—movie star
Lots of—bad attitude
Which turned—me on

I first—saw him as
Shad—in Gregg Araki’s
Nowhere (1997)—
When he was 23
Alyssa’s self-destructive
Twin brother

Then as Shane O’Shea
In 54—Cruel Intentions
As Sebastian Velmont
Henry Denton in Gosford
Park—Oliver in Igby Goes
Down & the cop in Crash

Last night—I dreamed he
Said—“I want to live and
Die—like a mythological
Man”—whatever that means
I said to myself—waking
Up today—Sunday morning

I thought of—Carol Duffy
Revising myths—and fairy
Tales along—POMO lines
With pastiche—parody
And surrealism—the way
Movies—dreams work?

Sexy—psychedelic
A day—in LA life
Dementedly funny—
Alienated—despairing
Bisexual—acid-tongued

Clueless—with nipple rings?