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Redacted, Redacted

Here the censorship, which

you’ve taught yourself, is

self-inflicted (low sugar,

low fat); it begins with the

swinging shadow of a single

(tastes great) incandescent bulb.

Moss fans through your bones

(luxuriant bubbles). Fungus

blooms open in your eyes

(the year’s best). Spiderwort

shoots through skin (experts

agree). Moths unfold from

chipped cavities (your future

now). Maybe it’s not that

bad (4 out of 5 agree), but then

again, someone locked

(new and improved) the

proverbial basement,

leaving you (crisp, clear, pure)

behind in the lilting darkness

with broken fingers (call

now) and not a single

credit card to jimmy the lock

(low rates), an errant

screwdriver (Made in Mexico)

to pull the door from its

(rustproof) hinges. Breathe

deep; help is coming (safe

for pets). (Kills 99.9%).

But (feel free) speak your

mind. Tell us. Tell us.


ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

is a doctoral candidate studying poetry at the University of Cincinnati. He earned an MFA from the University of Miami, where he was a James Michener fellow. His poetry has appeared in a variety of literary journals.

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