Feeling of evil
descending like
a building
encroaching into
darkness smoke
evidence of flame
foot against a door
praying it would
not break in
by the grace of
it didn’t—now
speech in the hall
says without naming
who should be
removed from thoughts
building the same
feeling unfounded
defeated former lost
Never underestimate
the power of a year
passing with little more
than dread remaining
in stasis as recollection
takes you back to what
seems to be ongoing
epiphany insurrection
this time legislation in
lieu of private jet riots
democracy on the brink
why not stay in house
for five instead of ten days
this will not be on the test
voting is either right or
it does not matter who counts
each one is on their own
to decide to look away
as the lifeline goes vertical
extending the viral horizon
sunsetting indefinitely
Persistent notification
presents itself regularly
every day for the past
three days exclaiming
an exposure detected
fourteen days ago
I can only surmise took
place at the place where I
received a booster shot
and waited for ten minutes
while my phone pinged
other phones in the vicinity
anonymously and I could
hear in the background
before my face other patrons
requesting take home tests
and leaving empty handed
Look out the window
shock of snow interrupted
by the commonplace
no one knows to use low gear
Snow in the forecast
everything closes again
as if we knew how
to prevent mass injury
A new year begins
remembering what happens
when nothing changes
no way to tell a story
At least we are here
roads impassable frozen
stuff that could become
snowballs or men on the ground
Already making room
for space what will be
a life they can sleep
in here it is warm
maybe too warm for
the first of the year
so much stuff to set
aside when push comes
to love some years fill
up until we have to let
them go whole houses
tucked with belongings
that no longer home us
here can you use this
towel we don’t know
where to put it but if
we remember it will keep
our hands dry and warm
It will not do
to count our losses
when we have run
out of numbers
better to toast
burnt edges and all
save with grace
a white at the center
penultimate afterglow
how the world begins
background radiation
something to look
against all odds
forward to
Too much time spent
on screens this year
my list of books read
too short to enumerate
how strange then to see
a prologue in fingers
appearing to hover
in large approximate pixels
above a darkened room
the better to see
the stirrings of new pages
in this book of life
Year in reviews
have begun circulating
Can’t Disrupt Capitalism
did you know this photo
of a politician in mittens
is only eleven months old
what will we do
when the year ends
and nothing changes
maybe it will be better
The clouds overhead
seemed to bend and not
break the sun
never attempting to
peak through
still enough light
as we listened to piano
music in season
the feeling of hearth
lingered as we ventured
in a manner of speaking
home where the cats
kept the place warm
for us
Joshua Keiter