the blueshift journal

St. Louis, in the wake of carnivores:

a, is surrounded by so much blood it cannot sleep

b, is desperate to name each tooth, locate the bite marks

c, is struggling to recognize the carnage as carnage

d, is surrounded by so much blood it sleeps to survive

 

St. Louis, after the taxidermist is done:

a, is found to be full of broken fingers

b, is found to be overrun by a species of love previously thought extinct

c, is found to be most gratifying when splayed and glistening

d, is found to be quite ugly, but deliciously so

 

St. Louis, according to simple science:

a, is a good, clean litmus

b, is a palatable case study

c, is a series of proofs, explained

d, is a research grant proposal (with new financial backers)

 

St. Louis, after looking up the definition of cannibalism:

a, shattered ever mirror in the city

b, removed every mirror in the city AND

             mailed the entire stack to Congress

c, shattered every mirror in the city AND

             pulled the shards out of America’s back,

     careful to avoid the delicate spine,

     the rope of nerves snaking into its skull

d, shattered every mirror in the city AND

             upon flipping the whole country over onto its stomach,

             marveled at the limp wrists, the swiveled kneecaps,

             saw that the reflecting glass had severed everything