There is no constraint more Procrustean than that imposed on contrivers of palindromes. Even a neatly apposite palindrome (for example, Napolean saying, “Able was I ere I saw Elba”) strikes one as aberrating from natural discourse. It is ironic that this supreme curtailment of language produces an effect not unlike that of surrealist automatism, ostensibly [...]

My name is Henry Jekyl, –As you see,
I am employed here by the library.
I was a doctor once–yes, that is true:
A brilliant theorist and a healer, too.
But I dared tamper with what no man should,
The fractal line that severs bad from good.
Now, though I was myself a sterling fellow,
A kindly gentle sort, quite sweet and [...]