Of Worship And Flight
by Edwin Torres

                             
		why did I read about a house of snakes
		if I'm trying to ease my boy's newfound fear of slithering gods —
		— when confronted with what can't be explained, the explanation invades
		its own mask — explaining to itself, that it's okay to spend years
		on what can't be explained, echo becoming mask
      
      		
	  
    1. the unknown gathers attention from the known
      2.                                      
	  
    2. when re-scrambling its mechanism of the known — say that again
      3.   
	  
    3. into your filter, your proven escape — oiled of temptation
      4.                                      
	  
    4. by cover of sight — where wonder and risk meet,
      5.  
	  
    5. is where I found the bluebird's wings
      6.  
	  
        		

                                 
			furiously attempting to divert the black snake
			away from its nest, its home — a valley of contradictions, here 
			before me — a bird in place of its color, a hidden nest far from danger
			where fear is waiting — to rearrange
			the brain's reception tangents, a schoolyard of saints			 
      
          		
	  
        1. visitors — foreign or local, you choose — dressed in matching neckerchiefs
          2.                                      
	  
        2. listening to sonic deception, imported from the Bronx, from id, from upstate New York
          3.   
	  
        3. a fearful collection of coming outters, where to be — not-gender — is — asterisk —
          4.                                      
	  
        4. obsidian death star, in-the-closet beatheads, frostyards, cageophiles, khlebnovians
          5.  
	  
        5. anti-hallmark prognosticators, devil stanza fanatics
          6.  
	  
            		

                                     
			the ear will pick the closest coil — to die against the weakest
			throat, there was a hero who believed that
			every curse he caught was his for everyone's failed
			blessings, the moment he knew his gift would captivate
			a million lives — is when he shifted fear to front and blue —

                                     
		scared of what moves me away from what moves me — say that again, echo 
		retreats, to worship — I am fear away from out — to catch the in, away from in
		the old poet reads of something of life from this one, of one other
		from that one, the out remains — as the category of event
		is its willingness to define end from in
Packingtown Review – Vol.7, Winter 2015/2016

Edwin Torres is the author of eight books of poetry, including Ameriscopia (University of Arizona Press 2014), Yes Thing No Thing (Roof Books 2010), and The PoPedology of An Ambient Language (Atelos Books 2008). Anthologies include: American Poets in the 21st Century: Vol. 2, Angels Of The Americlypse: An Anthology of New Latin@ Writing, Aloud: Voices From The Nuyorican Poets Café .

  1. Roberto Harrison
    Symbol Prayerart