Spell
Ampersand to start the poem, keep you going, there’s a
Next Anne Cunningham
Now intubated in white bed mountain range —
Event brought you here and event will blow you onward.
this is the refrain from Anne harm
refrain from all harm
events blowing forward
gentle your train
refrain from all damn harm
Camp out in the mountains
Under fluorescent hiss and beep.
Nina (pet) put to sleep, ancient incontinent;
Now you mourn blood
Into your gastric tract.
Noble body, gather your
Guts, seal the passage:
Have to die sometime but curving intricate
Amerspand-tract says you’ll
Meet us for breakfast.
this is the refrain from Anne harm
refrain from all harm
events blowing forward
gentle your train
refrain from all damn harm
Copyright Credit: Catherine Wagner, “Spell” from Nervous Device, City Lights Spotlight No. 8. Copyright © 2012 by Catherine Wagner. Reprinted by permission of City Lights Books.
Source: Nervous Device (City Lights Books, 2012)