Steven Karl
from I Hrt the Cult Years
the/
green splayed— behind the/
rusted-out brown—
*
they filter out from trees forest is not a forest but
a construct to echo a relic unpolished
& out of place it remains (good) book broken
upon knee argyle tie smear smartly clipped breaking piece
by piece wet eyes coffee sip sugar ants & their damn crumbs
*
& when you press the metal key to your forehead you feel the little feet on your back
A punctual train is a fulfilled promise
18,000 steps 10 flights forest mouth enter data zeroed
*
the grass dotted with
scraggly weeds the eye
frequently interrupted
yellow center white petaled flowers
maybe daisies
or daisies in
miniature call
them sun spots
or cancer blooming
in the grass the
season will push
on rain flood
rot sun wind
land filling with
red yellow orange
dries to brown to
winter to nothing a
light a life seen as
a series of moments
never known or
forgotten after the
death rush eases into
the soft silence where
echoes echo to each
other ‘tho it doesn’t
stave the boredom of
afterlife of the emptiness after—
Spell to Rid the Malicious Malcontents
Three to three/ unto me/ salted water/ uncross me /three to three/ unto me/ salted water uncross me/
Three to three from leaf to trunk/ broken bark to build me/
three to three from leaf to trunk/ broken bark to build me
Three to three from leaf/ to trunk/ broken bark/ to build me
three to three from leaf/ to trunk/ broken bark/ to build me
Pass through the Dragons Blood/ stagger step then still/ Breathe in/ Pass through the Dragons Blood
Pass through the Dragons Blood/ stagger step then still/ Breathe out/ Pass through the Dragons Blood
Verbena/ Salt/lemon/Bay leaf/ Rose stem thorn in-tact/ This precious plate is your fate/
Verbena/ Salt/lemon/Bay leaf/ Rose stem thorn in-tact/ Shattered precious plate/ You may not pass
Splinters removed from skin/ cat whisker/ fox whisker/ Eyes closed/ We can see all around/
Lavender soaked tree bark/ Eyes closed/ We see plainly in the dark/ The power of all things is in us/
We are the harmony/ I&I am the harmony/ you will not cross us/
Spell to Crush the Harm Seekers
Empty of noise/ free of shame/ darkness & I are one/ old undergarments seeped in sweat/ I see you/
I see you/ I shall stain you/ I will burn you/ peppermint/rosemary/ mirror glint your face shatters/
Empty of noise/ free from shame/ I & darkness are one/ baby breath & dried dandelion/ with this fire/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
Empty of noise/ free of shame/ I am the darkness/ waves of/ shifting atoms sped up/ & aimed/
In the darkness/ I & my many I’s harmonize/ You will see a body/ mistaken it/ as only carcass/
Empty of noise/ free of shame/ darkness & I are one/ you are the disease/ you are the disease/
Empty of noise/ free of shame/ darkness & I are one/ old undergarments seeped in sweat/ I see you/
I see you/ I shall stain you/ I will burn you/ peppermint/rosemary/ mirror glint your face shatters/
Empty of noise/ free from shame/ I & darkness are one/ baby breath & dried dandelion/ with this fire/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
Empty of noise/ free of shame/ I am the darkness/ graves, time, vibrations/ lay naked before me/
In the darkness/ I & my many I’s harmonize/ You will see your body/ unmistaken & split/ half rat half death/
Empty of noise/ free of shame/ darkness & I are one/ you are the disease/ you are the death/
Empty of noise/ free of shame/ darkness & I are one/ old undergarments seeped in paradise/ I see you/
I see you/ I shall permeate you/ I will burn you/ peppermint/rosemary/ mirror glint your face shatters/
Empty of noise/ owls & moles are eyes/ I & darkness are one/ baby breath & dried dandelion/ with this fire/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
Empty of noise/ free of shame/ I am the darkness/ naked graves awash in vibrations/ birch skin this breath/
In the darkness/ I & my many I’s harmonize/ You will see a body/ mistaken it/ as only carcass/
Empty of noise/ free of shame/ darkness & I are one/ you are the disease/ you are the disease/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
I will hover/ I will hunt/ I will haunt/
Steven Karl is the author of two books of poetry, most recently Sister (Noemi Press, 2016). His poems have appeared in Apartment, Heavy Feather Review, jubilat, and Tokyo Poetry Journal. He has chapbooks forthcoming from Bloof Books and Peptic Robot Press. Originally from Philadelphia, he currently divides his time between Boston, Massachusetts and Tokyo, Japan.