Witness Magazine

Yok         ::         Not Existent

By
Poetry•Vol. XXV No. 3 (Fall 2012)

in the elation
                                    the moon
                                    gibbous is funny

servant perhaps or standard
                                    bearer
                                    burnt rosewood
                                    bored

tree–fin better yet red
                                    slate counter
                                    functional static

the moon stands funny
                                    wind
                                    function
                                    bored in red

bored by burnt counter or
                                    tree–fin yet
                                    better

standard bearer standing
                                    he laughs
                                    gibbous
                                    whistle

unsettled we know it round
                                    mountain gibbous
                                    moonlight peek

what is a tree–fin he asks
                                    wind
                                    born standing
                                    yet

we stood in the elation
                                    under gibbous
                                    laughed at hollow

a better servant perhaps
                                    others full
                                    wind
                                    burning

better yet he laughs
                                    tree–fin a
                                    round

the servant has a tell
                                    red wind
                                    mountain
                                    gibbous moon

standing in the elation
                                    word in sand
                                    moon through wind

Andrew Wessels has lived in Houston, Cambridge, and Las Vegas. Currently, he splits his time between Istanbul and Los Angeles. His poems, translations, and collaborations can recently be found in or are forthcoming from VOLT, Fence, Colorado Review, The Journal, Washington Square Review, Grist, Handsome, Fact-Simile, and 580 Split. He edits The Offending Adam.

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