Yield

There are a fews things I’ve brought 

out of the wreck of the black hole, 

which I found to be neither wreck, 

nor hole, nor black, but rather 

the underpainting for a new work. 

[LSS, 10/26/23]

In the Meantime

Send me a small number 

of persons or things placed 

at widely separated intervals,

and a European newspaper 

devoted to light literature. 

 

[LSS, 10/23/23]

Making Ink: Chapter One

I burn the old flesh,

and the rotting roots, 

my tongue numbed 

by the smoke,  

the carbon black reproach

for not having spoken more

clearly when I said I have 

always been ready, yet 

I don’t why after all this 

time I am still waiting 

for something to begin.

[LSS 10/18/23]

Back Country Villanelle

my leather heart paperweight

two repeating rhymes chambered

in a wilderness on fire

and breath and eyes against the gate

against the day a single word

my leather heart paperweight

wanting nothing, only waiting

the sublime and the absurd

my wilderness on fire

a chambered heart, forget-me-not

this hearth, this home, this portmanteau

this leather-hearted paperweight

forcing down the rusted wreck

words lost inside of other words

the ash, the sham, the shame

repeating rhymes, a rusted wreck

the shame, the scam, the loss of ash

left in this wilderness on fire

my weathered heart paperweight 

[LSS/RK, 10/7/23]

Tercet Number Five

forcing down the rusted wreck,

words lost inside of other words,

the ash, the sham, the shame,

[LSS, 10/14/23]

Fourth Tercet

a chambered heart, forget-me-not
this hearth, this home, this portmanteau
this leather hearted paper weight, 

[RK, 10/14/23]

Third Tercet

wanting nothing, only waiting,

the sublime and the absurd,

my wilderness on fire.

[LSS, 10/12/23]

Second Tercet

and breath and eyes against the gate

against the day a single word

My leather heart paper weight

[RK, 9/16/23]