"New Psalms 8:12"
by Shauna Deathe

I can think of 7 different reasons we’re supposed to pray
              on our knees,
                           and she is exactly half of them.

I wrote her a story and blessed it back to the fire,
                kept her (a) secret,
                       pretended the ocean was sky when we were falling,
                                                  still

saying shit like:
            Keep looking up
No:
            Keep your eyes on me
                         & see how the horizon
                           never changes.

Ignore the heavens, all dead-dove-dark—
      I think I got that wrong.

                            Tell me your name again
                            so one of us doesn’t forget it.

 

 

 

From The Malahat Review's winter issue #229