So it is better to speak
Remembering
We were never meant to survive—Audre Lorde
Because the death you’re holding
onto the laughter disguise dirge
does not wear away the pearl
Because the fall to sea is un
complimentary no one says
I love you on the way down
Because there’s no one
to share this joy with and everyone
to share this joy with
Because a cottonwood decomposes
its mammoth trunk into earth how
many fissured moments it takes
Because a forest mouse from
where he comes scurries the innards
the novel earth his
Because it’s only you and your
mind that ties knots and ties
them harder, because
You are not the forest mouse!
And you are not the Kievan Jew
mother marched to Babi Yar
cradling her child to a
rat-tatling-death
Shots in the back shots back
out
not your chest
the heart not yours
the belly the pearl…
Not yours
Because whatever
lived once is living
now
A forest mouse in the fertile void
And the doors to walk through
numberless a woman behind
everyone disguised
In longing
vast and fat
Because the fear in choosing this
or that
keeps the heirloom locks latched
Because the ghost is within you
And the horse you were
riding on right
beside you is
And you are
the horse
anyway
Matthew Krasner is a writer and teacher in either order. Born and raised in Potomac Maryland, he earned his MA in Liberal Arts from the St. John's College and currently teaches English literature and creative writing at the International American School of Warsaw.
Matthew’s poetry is culled from his expatriate existence in Poland and the elusive muse calling one “home”. His work has appeared in the Jewish Literary Journal, Krakow Post, and Sonoma Mountain Zen Center’s Mountain Wind Journal. He is currently a featured writer for Medium.com’s online journal Coffeelicious.
For more background, visit Matthew’s website: swingdoorclanks.com.