29 March 2006 | Vol. 6, No. 1

Shun

Murmurs of this city split,

grow groans.


From churches, the sweet shiver

of tambourines.


Spasms of light drape quickly

the dark bodies of the skyline.


It would be much simpler

to sleep with a composition of wheat.


Near dreaming horses.


Near deep

locust dirge.


Not beside this broken black bowl

that we pour our fixed madness,

the hot glass into.


Let's move into a small chapel,

lonely and sane as a hollow nest.

About the author:

Jenny Gillespie lives in Chicago. She has an MA in English and Creative Writing from the University of Texas at Austin, where she won the Keene Award in Poetry. She is also a singer-songwriter; her music can be heard at jennygillespiemusic.com.

For further reading:

Browse the contents of 42opus Vol. 6, No. 1, where "Shun" ran on March 29, 2006. List other work with these same labels: poetry.

42opus is an online magazine of the literary arts.

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