by Kevin Chang
Art by Annie Yang
Issue: Audeamus (Winter 2011)
One ember lands on speckled ground
a blight for none to see
Upheav.al
a fall fr.om grace
a Cough sounds thr.oug.h the spe.ckled grounds
a Cough sounds like fa.ult
a Cough los.t its d.oubted grac .e
a Cou.gh for none to see
Harm is pa.lpable, ar.idity is in the air
It is c.alled-
m.i.s.f.o.r.t.u.n.e
The.re is misfortune he.re
*Cough*
It runs thick with flaming discord
Sickne.s.s
It is pre.valent
A lon.g-li.ved
resident. on these grounds
But there is a cure in the house
Stamp out the embers
cease the embers; cease the Coughing
There is a cure in the house
Punctuate the embers
Punctuate the Coughs till infrequency rings
…till silence sounds
Alas, silence, too
is for no one to see
And while you do
Please
Punctuate these words for me
For,
in the meantime,
I have the need of a cough’s drop.
