Leaves spread under flames
the wind is blowing
each finger in dirt as
Belfast turns ripe to blackened
curling into a gangrene
as the window flakes—
the curtain of skin
reflects your face
etched in a stone hearth is history
— soaking blood into cloth
Susan Tepper is the author of five published books. Her recent title “The Merrill Diaries” (Pure Slush Books, 2013) is a novel in stories. Tepper is a named-finalist for 2014 story/South Million Writers Award. www.SusanTepper.com
–Art by Zak Milofsky