On Working A Poem

Spell

 

Catherine Wagner

 

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